Radar
by quiet-heart
Summary: Governor Denning hired her as Five-0's Administrative Assistant. The deal was NO FIELD WORK! Wait until Steve gets his hands on her...
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Sergeant Duke Lukela and Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett were quietly discussing a case when a pretty light brunette woman joined them. In white slip-on shoes, navy slacks, and a light pink polo shirt, her hair in a bun, the woman barely reached Steve's armpits. She was cute, though, Steve thought, and returned the smile she gave him, which caused her ears to turn pink and a blush to stain her cheeks.

Duke glanced up at the woman. "Radar; who's doing what?"

"The scruffy-looking mutt they just brought in?" Radar said.

"Yeah?"

"He's sky high and about to come crashing down," she said.

"How bad?"

"Atomic. Two, maybe five minutes, tops."

Duke groaned softly and gestured at two nearby cops. They joined the group. "Radar says we've got a twitchy fighter and he's gonna blow."

"Damnit," one cop groused.

The second cop didn't even get to say anything when the suspect suddenly let out a strangled yell and attacked a nearby prisoner. Steve joined in on the fight, temporarily forgetting about Radar.

Then, once the subdued suspect was being hauled away, did he remember her.

She had moved behind the desk and was watching the activity.

"Commander Steve McGarrett, Five-0 Taskforce," he huffed, offering his hand.

"Millie Thompson, HPD Admin Assistant," she said, her hand all but disappearing in his. "I've seen you around. You and your team do good work."

"Thanks. Why does Duke call you Radar?" Steve asked.

"Because what you just heard her warn us about, she does that all the time," Duke answered, rejoining them. "It's like she's got a sixth sense about these things."

Millie shrugged. "I just watch people, and because I don't wear a uniform or a badge, they ignore me." She tilted her head, going silent, her eyes following two men being moved to the waiting area. "Keep those two separate; the blue shirt guy is harmless but the yellow bird-brain has his eyes set on him and is itching for a fight, with Mr. Blue his target."

Duke quickly moved to do as she recommended, just as Mr. Bird-brain suddenly tried to attack Mr. Blue. Unfortunately, in the scuffle, one cop wound up with a bloody nose.

"Paperwork's gonna be a bitch," Millie said, eyebrows raised. "Nice meeting you, Commander."

"Likewise, and it's Steve," he said.

"Steve," she repeated, smiling, a blush creeping through her hairline, before she walked away.

She had a nice tush, Steve thought absently, watching her backside.

"Now you know why we call her Radar," Duke groaned, rejoining him.

"What do you know about her?" Steve asked.

"Good worker, friendly, been here about six years, I think. Never really says much about herself, but she's good at her job," Duke said, shrugging.

"Family? Friends?"  
"Not that she's ever said. I get the feeling she lets people see only what she wants them to see, and nothing more. Some people are like that."

"Huh." Then his cell phone rang; it was his partner, Detective Sergeant Danny Williams, with a new lead on their case. After that, Millie "Radar" Thompson was put out of his head until two weeks later.

"_No one ever told you_

_I love to hear ya sing._

_No one dressed you up in silk_

_And flashy diamond rings._

_Ah, but someone feeling sorry_

_Is one thing you despise, baby_

_You don't need no man to sympathize..."_

The unfamiliar bouncy country music caused Steve to halt in his tracks. Then his nose caught the pleasing scent of fresh-brewed coffee. He held up a hand to silence his friends as they joined him. They were all feeling a little grubby from a recent take-down and were in no mood to deal with a stranger in their office.

Then a woman in dark brown slacks, light blue short-sleeve blouse, and brown slip-on shoes appeared from the staff kitchen, sipping a cup of coffee. She raised an eyebrow when she saw them.

"Millie," said Steve, recognizing her.

"Steve," Millie replied. She glanced at the rest of the crew. "You guys look a little beat there. What did you get yourself into this time?"

"We just finished a take-down of some major gang members," Steve admitted. "Been after them for a while."

"Charming bunch, I'm sure," Millie replied. "I'll give you a few hours to get yourselves cleaned up and then I want the incident reports on my desk."

"That's all fine and dandy," Danny cut in, "but, uh, exactly who are you?"

"This is Millie Thompson," said Steve, coming close to the petite brunette, who had her hair back in a bun. "She's an Admin Assistant for HPD."

"Not anymore," Millie said. "Governor Denning made me a very nice offer a few days ago. Seems you guys have a habit of not always getting your paperwork in on a timely fashion, so I was invited to try and fix that."

"Uh-oh," Captain Lou Grover mumbled.

"_Uh-oh _is right, Captain Grover. Some of you aren't too bad, but there are the occasional slips. As for the rest of you? I'm going to ride your ass like you ain't never seen." Millie smiled and raised her coffee mug in salute. "Welcome to a new level of Hell, boys and girls; mine." And she sauntered to an open office door.

Detective Lieutenant Chin Ho Kelly chuckled. "You're the one they call Radar, aren't you?" he called.

"A friend stuck me with that nickname years ago," Millie called back. "I've been called worse, trust me!"

"Does she even have the experience to deal with us?" Danny asked.

"I don't know," Steve admitted. "Let's get ourselves cleaned up and find out."

What they found out was precious little and very basic.

"I spoke to Duke about her two weeks ago; he knows her," said Steve, "but says no one _really_ knows her. Seems she keeps her private life private."

"Same here," said Officer Kono Kalakaua. "She's good at her job and can be a terror with paperwork, but no one knows her outside of work."

"Which fits with what little I could find on her. Millie Susan Thompson, twenty-seven. A certified Administration Assistant and Legal Aid, both from community colleges in Portland, Oregon. Moved here about six years ago, lives in the same apartment since she came here, over on Sunset Road," said Chin. The team was gathered around the computer table and Millie's picture was on the screen. "She changed her name from Wilma May Bryant to Millie Susan Thompson just after she turned eighteen. Court records don't say why. She has a gun license but no record of owning a gun. Only other thing I could find was a sealed juvie file under her 'before' name, and unless we get a warrant, that file isn't opening any time soon."

"And there's no need to," said Millie, joining them. "I made a mistake when I was fifteen and I paid for it, and that's all I'm going to say about that. Other than that, if you want to know something about me, ask."

"Okay, why the name change? Wilma to Millie I can understand, but why the other two?" Lou asked.

"We all have things in our past we'd like to forget about," Millie replied. "Name associations are often one of them. Thompson was my grandmother's maiden name and probably the only blood family that ever gave a damn about me. Susan is the name of the detective's wife who helped me get my head on straight." She held up her right hand, where a pretty diamond ring sat on one finger, and began ticking off her fingers. "I like my coffee fresh and hot, especially first thing in the morning. I have a cat I call Lunkey when he's being affectionate and Lunkhead when he does something stupid, like try and steal my neighbour's steak for the uptenth time."

"Why Lunkhead?" Kono asked, grinning.

"Because that's what I called him when he scared the hell out of me during a bad storm. He had his face pressed against my bedroom window, the power has just gone out, and lighting flashed," Millie admitted.

"You screamed," Chin guessed, grinning.

"Right out of a horror movie," Millie said. "Then I let him in, called him a bloody lunkhead, tried calling him something else, but the fuzz-brain will only answer to Lunkhead. Mind you, that's not what the cat groomer called him when I took him down for a full body shave."

"What!" Danny yelped, watching as Millie quickly accessed her FaceBook profile and pulled up a photo of a very angry-looking brown and black kitty, causing laughter from the team. "Why on Earth would you shave a cat? Do you have a death wish? You must!"

"His fur was so badly matted I had to have it shaved off," Millie admitted. "Even the groomer admitted it was bad. He's fine now, but when it gets too humid, I take a little off the top for his comfort."

"He's got beautiful eyes," Kono said, "even if he does look like he's about to kill you."

"Took a week's worth of kitty treats to get him to stop going after my ankles for a while. He did the same to an ex-boyfriend too," Millie admitted. "Got so bad he stopped coming over to play." She shrugged. "No big loss. Guy had an ear-shattering scream, which I heard every time Lunkey clawed his ankles." Then she started laughing, putting her fingers to her lips.

"What?" Steve asked, curious.

"It's a bit rude," Millie admitted, still giggling.

"It can't be that bad," said Chin, also curious.

"Are you sure?" Millie asked.

"Trust us, we've seen and heard it all," Steve admitted.

"Okay," Millie said, mirth in her eyes. "Adam stopped coming over after Lunkey sunk his claws in to his ass during a session. The more he yelled and moved under the sheets, the more the fool cat attacked, until he caught him in the front and I do mean _the front_. I was useless for the next ten minutes. He went from sixty to zero in two seconds flat, and that wasn't all that went flat! I've been too afraid to have a guy over since!"

Later in the evening, as he was finishing up his paperwork, Steve realized Millie hadn't actually said anything about her family or her past. In fact, the story about Lunkhead had been the neatest side-step he'd ever seen.

Her new office had a poster of Garfield on the door, making him grin.

"_I'd like mornings better if they started later_," he read. He knocked on the door.

"Enter at your own risk," Millie said, not glancing up from the file in front of her, reading glasses perched on her face.

"You got a minute?" Steve asked.

"Only if you do," she relied, looking up. "Detective Williams' handwriting sucks."

He came in to her office, looking around, replying, "It usually does, but after six years, I've learned how to read it. It's almost like a code in itself." At the moment, her office held a desk, chairs, filing cabinet, bookcase, and her computer. There were no personal details, aside from the poster and an iPod docking station with plain speakers.

"Then somebody find me the code book for it, please, before I get cross-eyed," she groused. "What's up?"

"You never really said much about yourself," he said, sitting down in one chair. "You've obviously read our files, so you know how we work."

"I know you guys work well as a team, yes, and you have a damn good success rate. Beyond that, no," Millie admitted, taking off her glasses and rubbing the bridge of her nose.

"We trust each other," Steve said. "We know each other."

"That's nice; what's that have to do with me?"

"If you're going to work with us, we need to be able to trust you, and right now, none of us really know anything about you, nothing that matters. Aside from your grandmother and Lunkhead, we don't know anything about your family, about you."

Millie sighed heavily. "And just being good at my job isn't going to cut it?"

"Our jobs are often outside the office," Steve said. "We may need you out in the field."

"Not a chance. I'm a secretary, not a cop. I can shoot, abet reluctantly, but with my luck I'll get a ricochet and hit the guy behind me instead of my target. I can throw a punch but would rather avoid a fight than get into one. I have no interest in being in the field and I told Denning that and he agreed to it."

"Okay, fair enough," he replied, holding up his hands in agreement.

"As for family, I have four brothers in Portland, with a two, three, fifteen, and sixteen year gap between me and them. Two of them I get along with, two I don't."

"And your parents?"

"Three dads; one's dead, one doesn't give a damn, and one is a cop. Two moms; one I love to pieces, and the other one? Who knows? Last I heard, she was chasing this old guy," she replied, shrugging. "No love lost between us." She sighed tiredly, rubbing her eyes again. "I'm a private person by nature. You want me to trust you? Give me time and remember, that trust issue cuts both ways."

Steve nodded. She was right; trust took time on both sides.

Millie reached for a pink post-it notepad on the corner of her desk and wrote down a number. "This is my cell number, in case there's a problem." She handed the piece of paper to him.

He snagged the post-it pad and a pen from her cup and wrote down his cell number. "I'll get you the rest of the numbers from the others in a bit," he promised.

"I appreciate that," she said, studying the number.

He stood up. "Have a good night," he said, smiling.

"Likewise," she replied, smiling in return.

Steve left her office, hoping he'd at least managed to convince her they could be friends. Time would tell.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Hey Steve, you got a minute?" Millie asked, sticking her head in his office.

"Sure. What's up?" he asked.

She came into his office and handed him an old framed photograph of a young couple. "Do you recognize the area? All I know for sure is that it was accessible by people in the 1950's and it's in Honolulu."

A lighthouse in the background caught his attention. "That looks like it could be Diamond Head Lighthouse, near Diamond Head Crater. Other than the Aloha Tower, it's one of the oldest lighthouses in Honolulu," he said. "Who are they?" he asked, studying the couple.

"My grandparents. Gram said she and Gramps had their honeymoon in Honolulu."

Steve nodded. "She was a pretty woman. You look like her."

Millie blushed, smiling as she accepted the photograph back. "I loved her and she loved me, which is more than I can say for the rest of my family." Once again Steve heard bitterness in her voice, and once again he wondered. Then she shrugged, closing that door again.

"What about your grandfather?" he asked.

"Gramps? I remember a kind old man and the smell of tobacco from a pipe. I think he cared, too, but he died from a heart attack some years back. I have a Pepsi lighter that I think was his. Found it in Gram's house after she passed on."

"If it's a rare one, it would be worth a fortune," he said. Again Millie shrugged. "Don't know, don't care, huh?"

"Nope. All I care about is that it still works beautifully. Thanks for the info."

"No problem."

It had been over close to two weeks since Millie had joined the team. During that time, she had revealed herself to be an evening tea drinker, a music lover, and a bike rider, especially when the weather was good. If it weren't for the music occasionally coming from her office, the smell of fresh coffee in the morning, and tea in the evening, she would have vanished into the woodwork, as quiet and unassuming as she was. She always wore slacks, simple blouses or shirts, slip-on flats or mocs, and her hair was always pulled back in a bun. She had a soft, pleasant voice and a quick smile, and was always willing to help dig through files at the courthouse for information that wasn't always available in the digital world.

As for her job, she was a, to quote Lou, holy terror with paperwork. Everything had to be dotted, crossed, and signed within a reasonable amount of time. Her handwriting was a combination of writing and printing, and, according to Steve and Kono, elegant, especially her signature.

Then Friday came. Millie called the team to the central area, where the table computer was. She had papers in one hand and a determined look on her face.

"Okay, guys and dolls; it is Friday. I want to go home by six and not see this place again until Monday," Millie began. "But in order to do that, I need certain papers from all of you. Therefore, I'm willing to make a bet."

"This should be good," said Danny, folding his arms across his chest.

"If everyone can have everything on their lists done by six o'clock, and I mean everyone, then on Monday, I will show up in a costume. If not, I get coffee from Marc's, and I ain't talking the cheap stuff," Millie said. "I'm talking a seven-dollar-grande-chocolate-mocha with real whipped cream, steamed milk, chocolate sprinkles, and raspberry shot." She smirked. "I only get that treat on Pay Day. So, either I get what I need or I get what I want."

Steve glanced at his friends, who were all looking at each other and Millie with grins on their faces. "So, if we finish before six, you wear a costume on Monday?" he summarized. "And if we don't, we're paying for a seven dollar coffee that's more sugar than coffee?"

"In one," Millie said, nodding.

"You're on," Steve said, grinning. "Clock's ticking. List, please," he said, holding out his hand.

At six o'clock on the dot, there was a knock on Millie's office door. Studying a file that had nothing to do with work (but Five-0 didn't need to know that) Millie called out, "Enter at your own risk."

A pile of files appeared in front of her. She glanced up to see a grinning Steve.

"Hope you have a pair of bunny ears," he said.

"Bunny ears?" she repeated, confused. She glanced at the files and then quickly went through them. Everything she'd asked for, plus a few other things, from everyone, it was all there.

"A bet's a bet," he reminded her. "You got what you needed. Now we get what we want and that means on Monday morning, it's bunny ears."

She groaned, holding up her hands in resignation. "Okay, all right. You're right, you're right. Bunny ears, Monday morning it is." Then she sighed. "You wouldn't happen to know where there's a costume store, would you?"

As Steve left Millie's office, the others were waiting for him.

"Bunny ears, Monday morning," he reported.

Danny rubbed his hands gleefully. "This is going to be fun. I, for one, am actually looking forward to Monday now."

On Monday, as Steve made his way through HPD to Five-0, he swore he heard howling laughter.

_Huh?_

He turned around in time to see a furiously blushing Millie making her way towards the elevators. His eyes went wide.

Millie had kept to her end of the bet beautifully. She wore a white camisole, grey leggings, white leg warmers, a grey long-sleeve shrug with thumb holes, grey-painted canvas sneakers, with grey bunny ears bouncing on her head. Around her neck was a red sequin bow tie, which matched the red suspenders. She had even painted her face like a cute grey bunny, complete with pink nose and white teeth. White nail polish was on her nails and her hair, as usual, was in a bun at the nape of her neck.

She had a very nice figure, Steve realized. Her clothes were by no means skin-revealing, but they did show all of her curves, especially her legs and torso.

"Hold up that elevator if you value your life, Commander!" she called.

Chuckling, he did so, in time to hear someone call out.

"Hey, Cottontail, come join us again sometime!"

"That's Lola Bunny, jackass!" Millie shot back. And then she put her hands and arms together, rabbit-like, hopped forward twice, shook her ass, which shook her "tail", hopped forward again, and again shook her ass. Then she stalked into the elevator, head held high and her human ears a bright pink. As the doors closed, they both heard the roaring of laughter.

"Oh. My. _God!_" Millie yelped.

Steve started laughing. "That was the cutest thing I've ever seen," he said. "Your temper got the better of you that time, huh?"

She glared at him. "Guess," she said with gritted teeth.." I am staying upstairs for the rest of the freaking day."

He grinned. "Nice job on the face paint. Who did it, by the way?"

"Me. It's a skill I have." She glanced at him and shrugged. "I'm a regular volunteer for the Honolulu SPCA and whenever we're doing charity events, I usually do face painting and glitter tattoos for the kids."

Steve's face lit up at the knowledge. "That's good of you," he said, stepping off the elevator and holding the door to Five-0 open for her. "How long have you been doing that?"

Millie shrugged. "Since I came to the islands and decided to stay, so almost seven years. Speaking of which, I got a call from one of the ladies this morning. Seems there's a bit of a problem and she needs my help, so I told her to drop by. Her name's Andrea and she's an absolute dream with animals."

In the offices, Kono, Danny, Lou, and Chin were waiting for them. When they saw Millie, they started laughing.

"Nice," said Kono, grinning.

"I like you; you're fun," said Lou.

Danny held up his cell phone and said, "This is going down for prosperity."

Groaning, Millie struck a show-girl pose for Danny, which he gleefully took a picture of, resulting in more laughter, before heading for her office. Before she entered, she shook her tail again, causing more laughter.

"She may not say much about herself, but she'll be just fine," said Chin to Steve.

"Seems she's a regular volunteer for the Honolulu SPCA," Steve said.

"Really?" Chin replied, curious. He went to the table computer and, in no time flat, found pictures of Millie in a bright yellow HSPCA volunteer shirt.

"Oh, I like that one," said Kono.

_That one_ was of Millie standing in front of a giant brown dog, arms folded across her chest, with the dog's paws on her shoulders. The dog appeared to be a cross between an English Mastiff and a Great Dane. Millie had a mischievous smile on her face that lit up her eyes, and the dog had a ball in his mouth.

"That is one big dog," said Lou, eyes wide.

"Yeah, and Millie's what? Five-four, five-five at best?" Danny asked.

"Says here they call him Scooby and this was during their annual Adopt-A-Thon," said Chin.

"What about the one with the cat?" Steve asked. Millie was laying on her stomach, almost nose-to-nose with a large orange and white cat.

"_I can answer that_," came a voice. A woman of Hawaiian decent joined them, wearing an HSPCA volunteer shirt, being escorted by an officer. Steve nodded his thanks to the officer, who left. "That's Millie and Oscar," she said. "He was one of our long-term residents who had a bit of an attitude issue, to be polite."

"And not polite?" Kono asked.

"There was a reason why we called him Oscar," said the woman.

"Right; Oscar the Grouch," said Chin, grinning.

"She worked with him for days, talking to him, petting him, even getting him to play. She got a few nasty scratches from him, but she was just absolutely patient with him," the woman said. "Thanks to her, we found him a good home with an elderly couple willing to be patient with him."

"She sounds like a good person. Do you know much about her?" Steve asked.

The woman shook her head. "I know she doesn't have any family on the islands and she's never mentioned anyone she was particularly close to, except a police officer in Oregon, where she's originally from. Other than that, she's great with animals and a regular volunteer. She's always been quick to help us when we've asked, sometimes going above and beyond. Speaking of which, do you know where she is?"

Several fingers pointed towards Millie's office door.

"Be warned," said Danny. "She lost a bet with us."

"Hey Millie! I think your friend is here!" Kono called.

Millie stuck her head out of her office. "Andrea. Hey. Step in to my little corner of Crazy Town and speak of good things to me."

Andrea grinned. "That must've been some bet," she said, heading towards the office.

"Crazy Town, huh?" Danny repeated, miffed.

Steve shrugged. "It does get a little crazy here sometimes."

Later, Steve went back to the HSPCA website and copied the image of Millie and Scooby to his phone, putting it on his contact file for her. For some reason he couldn't understand, he wanted to see Millie smile like that, except with them.

Why was Millie so determined to keep parts of herself away from them? By all accounts, she was a good, kind person. Surely whatever had happened in the past couldn't be that bad.

Could it?


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Where are we going now?" Danny asked. They were in his Camero and supposedly heading back to Headquarters after a very disappointing stake-out, with Steve driving, as usual. It was a warm Saturday and the suspect they were chasing after, Chad Iloffe, had failed to show up.

"We need help," Steve said.

"We need a lot of help. That's why we're seeing a shrink," Danny shot back.

"We need Millie's help," Steve corrected, knowing they were both tired and frustrated. "There's a reason why people call her Radar. She did it to Duke again on Wednesday, helping catch another bastard. Remember that guy we saw Duke bringing in?"

"That harmless-looking drunk?"

"Who turned out to be a not-so-harmless not-drunk with a knife in his sleeve who liked sexually assaulting women," Steve corrected. Danny stared at him, eyes wide. "She spotted it within a minute of him going by her, while she was on her lunch. Said he had a weapon on him and reminded her of a waiting shark. She called it in to Duke, who apparently ran. When the suspect tried to run, she introduced his face to a lunch tray. Duke ran his prints and got a hit. Guy had warrants a mile long, all for sex-related crimes and assault. They'd been looking for him for weeks."

Danny whistled. "Bet there were a bunch of people who loved her."

"The owner of the sub sandwich store reimbursed her for her lunch and a couple of the guys bought her a Pay Day coffee. Duke said that was the easiest take-down he'd ever done."

Danny chortled. "Okay, so Millie is good at reading people. So?"

"So, she might be able to help us find this guy. She doesn't act like a cop and she doesn't look like a cop, which means she's not going to be tagged as a cop."

"She also made it very clear she was never getting into the field," Danny reminded him.

"There's a first time for everything, and we need her help," Steve said stubbornly.

A few minutes later, Danny was sure his partner was going to need help getting his jaw up off the ground, and he wasn't so sure he didn't have that problem either.

Millie had been at home and had answered her door, glaring at them. She wore a bright pink twisted bandeau bikini top and black and white drawstring shorts. Her hair was in a pink cloth headband, brown waves tumbling around her shoulders, and she was barefoot and barefaced. On her toes were a bright safety-vest-orange nail polish and, surprisingly enough, a hibiscus and butterfly tattoo went around one ankle.

"It's my day off, guys. What do you want? And stop staring! I'm sure you've seen other girls wearing a hellava lot less!" she snapped, a blush creeping across her face, one hand on her hip.

"Maybe, but not you," Danny said. "And may I say, from a purely male appreciative point of view, you have a very nice shape?"

"What he said; very nice shape," Steve agreed, finally managing to close his mouth. "Can we come in? We need a favour."

Still blushing, she stepped aside and let them in to her one-bedroom, ground-level, apartment.

The living room opened up to the kitchen and there was a hallway that lead to the bedroom and bathroom. On the kitchen table was a cooling rack full of just-baked butter raisin tarts, with the smell making Steve's mouth water.

"You bake?" he asked.

"Yeah; Gram taught me. Help yourself," Millie admitted, shutting her door. She suddenly felt uncomfortable with the two men in her apartment, even though she knew they would never harm her. She twisted a lock of her hair and fought the urge to get a cover-up, or even cross her arms across her chest. "The pastry is ready-made but the rest isn't." She watched as Steve and Danny helped themselves to a tart before getting some coffee mugs and pouring them coffee.

_"The summer air was heavy and sweet_

_You and I on a crowded street_

_There was music everywhere, I can see us there_

_In a happy little foreign town_

_Where the stars hung upside down_

_A half a world away, far far away_

_I remember you were laughing_

_We were so in love, we were so in love..."_

Deana Carter's _We Danced Anyway_ began playing and Millie found herself moving to the familiar rhythm, momentarily forgetting her guests. When she turned around, coffee in hand, she found herself being stared at by Steve and Danny again. Her face went scarlet again.

"What?" she snapped, handing them their coffee.

"You have better moves than some hula dancers I've seen," Steve admitted.

"I think we're gonna need a fire extinguisher," said Danny, grinning at Millie's obvious discomfort.

"You're going to get a cookie sheet across your head if you don't tell me what you want," she shot back.

"We need your eyes," Steve admitted. He explained the problem.

"And the fact that I'm a secretary and not a cop?" she demanded. "That was the deal I made with the governor."

"We're changing the deal," Steve shot back. "We'll be watching your back the whole time, but we need to catch this guy, and quickly. A lot of people are going to be hurt if we don't."

Millie glanced between the two men and realized they were serious. "What about Kono?" she asked.

"He's tangled with her. If he sees her, he could run," Danny admitted.

Millie groaned softly and gave in. "All right, okay, okay. Where?" It turned out the area Iloffe was known to frequent was a good area for one of her favourite things; rollerblading. "Let me change my shorts and grab some gear." She pointed towards the fridge, where a very-familiar-looking cat sat curled up on top, glaring at the newcomers. "Be nice, Lunkhead! They're not play toys for you!" She headed for her bedroom.

Danny stared at the feline with eyes wide with trepidation. "That is one big cat."

Steve, very much a cat-lover, went up to Lunkhead and offered him his fingers to sniff at, before cautiously scratching his head. Lunkhead allowed the contact before moving his head to demand chin scratches, which Steve obliged to.

"You're a handsome fellow," he said. "Just leave my ankles alone or I will shoot your furry ass, okay?"

Lunkhead stared at him, amber eyes blinking steadily. It wasn't much of a reply, but it was better than a hiss.

Once Millie had changed and put most of her rollerblading gear on, they stopped by Headquarters and grabbed some com gear of their own. Then they headed back to the park-market area. Steve dropped Millie off a short distance away, still smelling the coconut sunscreen she'd lathered on her skin, which he'd helped apply to her very nice back. It seemed she was a bit sensitive there, because she'd involuntarily shivered during the process. She had changed into low-rise black and pink shorts that hugged her rear and pulled her hair back into a ponytail to accommodate her helmet. She got a new pair of sunglasses, equipped with live video and radio feed, keeping her in constant contact with the guys. Despite all the fancy gear, she insisted on wearing her iPod in one ear, saying it would allow her to blend in better if she was moving to her music.

An hour later, they had Iloffe. It hadn't taken Millie long to spot him, when she'd stopped to buy a bottle of water. She had alerted Steve and Danny, followed Iloffe at a discrete distance, and when he'd tried to make a run for it upon seen Steve and Danny, she'd introduced his face to a rather large fresh red snapper.

"Bitch," Iloffe snarled at her as he was being helped up by Steve and Danny.

"Been called worse. Besides, you've been giving these guys red herrings, so I made use of a snapper on porpoise," she quipped, grinning. "It allowed me to tuna my swing. If you ever decide to get a little sole, let minnow." And Millie cracked up laughing.

Danny groaned and Steve stared at her, laughing.

"Spare me from the comedians," Iloffe grumped.

"Yeah? Well, those fishy jokes were mermaid for this mess," Millie cracked, laughing again. She grinned, eyes sparkling with mischief. "Be glad I haven't started in on some of my animal jokes."

"Please, no," Iloffe whined.

"Such as?" Steve asked, curious.

"What do you see at a chicken show?" Millie asked innocently.

"Uh-oh," Danny mumbled.

"Hentertainment," Millie answered, grinning broadly. Three men groaned. "Why did so many people watch the chicken cross the road?" she asked. When no one replied, she said, "Because it was poultry in motion." Then she jerked her head at Iloffe. "He needs to be whisked away before he cracks up from too much egg-citement."

"Is she always this bad?" Iloffe whined.

"This is the worst we've ever seen her," Danny admitted.

"And it's hilarious," said Steve, grinning.

Later, Steve was studying a picture on his cell phone. It was of Millie, rollerblading, and grinning about something. He realized they had seen a different side of Millie. Her apartment had been nice, simple, and comfortable, and there had been a giant custom-made cat tower in one corner. The tattoo on her ankles had been a surprise. And the jokes and the dancing? That had been a surprise. While she'd been rollerblading, she'd relaxed and thrown a few sassy one-liners at a few cat-calls from some passing guys. She displayed an easy comfort with rollerblading and admitted it was a regular thing for her, going as far as admitting she'd rollerbladed with dogs from the HSPCA on several occasions.

It had been over a month since Millie had joined the team and today, he had gotten his first glimpse of the real woman under the office clothes, one that made him want to take a closer look.

If only she would let them.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Millie walked in tiredly, wearing an extra-large green men's Hawaii Warriors full zip hoodie sweatshirt with front pouch pockets, light blue jeans that had seen better days, and black and silver Sketchers runners. A Scooby-Doo backpack was on her back, her hair was in a braid of sorts, and she was cradling something protectively against her chest. Her face was scrubbed clean of make-up and she looked tired, made evident by the yawn she couldn't suppress and the dark circles under her eyes. She eagerly accepted the coffee Steve kindly handed her, and took a mouthful.

"Are you okay?" he asked. He had gotten a text message from her about an hour and a half ago, saying she was going to be late.

"I'm fine, other than being dead tired," she admitted, heading for her office. She set her coffee down, removed her backpack, and unzipped her sweatshirt, revealing a makeshift baby sling going across her chest.

Steve's eyes went wide.

She glanced at him and said sarcastically, "Yes, there are babies in here, just not the human kind." She carefully took off her sweatshirt, revealing a white t-shirt with a faded Captain America shield print, and just as carefully removed the sling, letting Steve see who she was protecting; four tiny, very young, kittens.

Steve's face softened as he studied them. Their ears were only just starting to stand up, and they were sleeping snuggled together. There was a black and white one, a mixed brown one, an all-black one, and a brown and white one. He reached in and gently stroked one of their little heads. "Where's their mama?" he asked.

"I have no idea. I found them in the dumpster near my apartment on Saturday morning. There was another baby with them, but he was too far gone," Millie admitted. "My contact at the HSPCA said they may have a foster home for them, but not for another day or so."

"So you spent the weekend fostering these little guys?"

"Yeah. I've been feeding them about every two hours, plus stimulating their bladders and bowels, because they don't know how to do it themselves yet. They also need constant warmth, hence the sling," Millie explained.

"Which also explains the lack of sleep," said Steve. Millie grunted tiredly. "And you've been worried about them." Again Millie grunted in agreement. "I'll tell you what; Danny and Lou are testifying in court today but beyond that, it's supposed to be fairly quiet. Ellie says we don't have anything else on the dockets for a while, and thanks to you, all our I's and T's are dotted and crossed. Let me grab a box to keep them safe in, and you crash on my couch for a bit."

"Do you know how to bottle-feed a kitten?" she asked, sorely tempted by his offer.

"You brought their formula, right?" When she nodded, he continued. "Leave me the portion instructions and I'll manage. I've baby-sat my niece, Joan, before, and both Lou and Danny have kids. They'll be fine."

"I can't sleep; I have work to do," she tried to protest.

"Nothing that can't wait," he soothed, picking up her backpack, which he assumed held the necessary supplies. "Have you given them any names?" he asked, guiding her to his office.

"I stuck them with the names of the four Hobbits from the Lord of the Rings; Merry, Pippin, Sam, and Frodo," she admitted sheepishly.

Steve grinned. "That's cute. Have you seen the movies?"

"Extended version, all three, plus the first two of the Hobbit ones. My favourite part is the romance between Faramir and Eowyn; I'm a romantic at heart," she confessed.

She sat down on Steve's couch and sighed heavily. It took only a moment for him to find an empty file box and for them to place the kittens, plus Millie's sweatshirt, in the box. The kittens barely even stirred.

Millie explained the feeding and potty methods, and then, at Steve's encouragement, put her feet up on the couch, laid her head down, and was asleep in minutes.

An hour later, Steve was on the floor, carefully feeding one of the kittens. It was the black and white female Millie was calling Frodo. As he fed her, he watched her ears wiggle, making him grin.

Danny stuck his head in Steve's office and was about to say something when he spotted Steve, Frodo, and Millie.

"Since when did you and Radar start dating?" Danny teased. "I know you want kids of your own, but isn't that the wrong species?"

Steve glared at him. "You're lucky Millie is asleep, or she'd be sticking her nails in your face. She spent the weekend taking care of these little guys," he shot back, keeping his voice low. "They need to be fed every two hours, so she didn't get a lot of sleep."

"HSPCA?"

"Foster home isn't ready for them yet. You've had a kid; pick up a bottle and pick a kitten," Steve said.

Danny poked his head over the box. "Who's who?" he asked, picking up the brown and white one, who squeaked at him.

"According to Millie's list, that one is a boy she's calling Pippin."

Danny sighed in resignation, picked up a bottle and, after positioning Pippin the same way Steve was holding Frodo, he began feeding the kitten.

Millie moaned softly in her sleep and turned over slightly, but didn't wake.

Then Lou stuck his head in, eyes going wide. The upshot of it was they moved the kittens to the front area and Lou and Kono joined in on the fun, with Chin watching. When Millie's cell phone rang, it was Chin who answered.

"Millie Thompson's phone. Can I help you?" he asked the caller.

"_Oh, hello. I'm Kim Bradley, from the HSPCA. Is Millie okay?_" the females caller asked.

"Aside from having crashed on a friend's couch, she's fine. We're taking care of the kittens she found while she sleeps," Chin said.

"_Wonderful. How are they doing?_"

"Eating like crazy," Chin said, grinning.

"_Good, that's really good. I may have some good news in regards to them,_" said Kim. "_We just had a mama cat come in, and she has a baby, but Animal Control could only find one of her babies. We're hoping we can bring Ms. Kitty to the other babies and she'll accept them as her own._"

"Does that work?"

"_We've had some success with doing that_," Kim admitted. "_For some species, a baby is a baby is a baby_."

"Do you know where to find us?" Chin asked.

"_HPD Headquarters?_" Kim asked.

"Third floor, Five-0 Taskforce."

"_I'm on my way. The faster we get Ms. Kitty to the babies, the better_," said Kim.

"Millie stuck them with the names of the Hobbits," Chin admitted, causing Kim to laugh.

"_Her sense of humour is one of the reasons why we love having her with us_," Kim admitted.

Kim arrived twenty minutes later, carrying a cat carrier with a pretty orange female cat inside, and a squeaking little orange kitten a bit older than the Hobbits. Kim set the carrier down, instructed the team to set a kitten on the floor on Millie's sweatshirt, and let Ms. Kitty out. Hearing the cries of the kitten, Ms. Kitty made a bee-line for the baby, licking and cleaning it. When the one Lou was holding squeaked, Ms. Kitty went up to him and began chirping anxiously.

"You want the baby, huh?" Lou asked the cat. He set the kitten down on the sweatshirt and Ms. Kitty went to it and started bathing it. Within minutes, she was nursing all five kittens contentedly.

Steve gently woke Millie up. She sat up, rubbing her eyes, and trying to shove her hair out of her face.

"Good new; your friend, Kim, came in with a cat who has a kitten of her own, but only one. She's bonding with the Hobbits with no problems, and the one baby she does have, doesn't seem to mind them," he said. "They've going to be just fine."

"Good. Maybe now Lunkhead will stop glaring at me all the time," she grumped.

"Possessive much?" he asked, grinning, and trying to ignore the almost-sensual way she stretched.

"Way much, blasted furball," she got out. She stood up and went in to the main area.

"Hey Kim. Sorry about the appearance," she said to the woman.

"Ah, no probs. Besides, I've seen you looking worse," Kim said, returning the hug Millie had given her. "Like that time you got dragged through the mud because of four dogs and a rabbit."

Millie groaned at the memory. "Oh jeeze, that was bad. My shoulders hurt for a week afterwards, and I had a hell of a scrape mark on one arm. I've still got the damn scar."

"What happened?" Kono asked, playing with the very rambunctious, but unsteady-on-it's-feet orange kitten.

"Four dogs, German Sheppard mixes I think, we'd just had a shower, one of those spurts that come and go," Millie said. "And a wild rabbit. I was walking them in the dog park, and they saw the rabbit, and the next thing I know I'm face-down in the mud, being dragged along by these damn dogs. I had the leashes wrapped around my hands, so it wasn't like I could just let go."

"We heard the screaming and the barking and a couple of us came running. Poor Millie, her clothes were ruined, the dogs were slobbering all over her, and she had a bloody arm," Kim said, grinning at the memory.

"Took me about a week to get all the mud out of my hair and at least half a bottle of mouthwash to stop tasting the dirt. Plus, I lost a shirt and a pair of jeans because I couldn't get the stains out."

"And your hands. They were raw like crazy," said Kim. "The leashes had gotten so tightly wrapped around her hands and wrists, they were cutting off the circulation."

"I didn't know what hurt more; my dignity, my hands, my shoulders, my chest, or my arm," Millie admitted. She lifted her left arm up and they could see a very faint scar going down the arm. "Thank god the vet was on-site that day."

Kim left shortly afterwards, with Ms. Kitty and her babies safely in the carrier, and Millie satisfied they would be okay. Then, chugging back a fresh cup of coffee and brushing her hair back in to a bun, Millie got back to work.

"Detective Williams! Your handwriting sucks! What were you doing; running while you wrote? Do I need to get Steve to translate again, or are you going to come in here and actually tell me what the hell you wrote?" she hollered from her office about an hour later.

"You nag worse than my ex-wife," Danny shot back, heading for her office.

"Then your ex-wife was a saint!"

Later that day, Steve surprised Millie by bringing her a tall white chocolate mocha with caramel shot. "You did good with the kittens," he said, by way of explanation.

"Thanks, but it was the right thing to do. No one should be abandoned, just because they're not wanted. None of us choose to come in to this world, so why should we be dumped because we did?" Millie asked, sipping the coffee gratefully.

"You sound like you've had experience with that," he said.

Millie's eyes grew haunted. "Like I said, my two older brothers, fifteen and sixteen year difference between us. Paul wasn't even really my biological father. He was a crab fisherman, mostly in the Bering Sea region. He was gone for weeks at a time. Janice got lonely, hooked up with some guy..."

"And you were conceived," Steve guessed.

"I wasn't wanted by either Janice or my oldest brothers, and I knew it. But Gram... she wanted me and she loved me, even when I screwed up. I came to Honolulu after she passed away because she begged me to. She had been happy here and she wanted me to be happy too," Millie admitted. She had no idea why she was telling him all that, but it felt like he could be trusted, and he genuinely did seem to care.

"Are you happy here?" he asked.

"I'm content. This job occasionally drives me around the freaking twist, especially trying to translate Danny's handwriting, and trying to explain some of the stunts you've pulled, to whoever's prosecuting your cases this time (that rubber grenade was interesting, by the way), and I admit I get lonely on occasion, but I'm content. As long as one of my charming brothers don't show up here and cause problems, I'm good to go," she said.

He smiled. "If they try to, we'll make sure they have problems of their own," he promised. "You look good in jeans. Why don't you do it more often?"

"Because I'm a professional, and I'm expected to look and dress a certain way. It means I get ignored and when I get ignored, I can watch people without being watched back," she admitted. "I only threw on jeans this morning because I hadn't had time to do my laundry over the weekend, like I usually do, and they were the only clean pair I could find. I'm a secretary; I'm supposed to blend in."

"Not around here, you're not," he replied. "Around here, we stand out, and since you're part of the team, that means you as well. Don't hide yourself, please."

Millie sighed. "I'll think about it, I promise, but you're asking me to change something I've been doing since I was fifteen."

"Didn't you get into trouble with the law when you were fifteen?" he asked, hoping for information on that.

"I did, as you well know, but that's a story for another time," she said, effectively cutting him off.

"But it's a story I hope to hear one day," he replied.

"One day," she promised. "For now, since you're asking me to consider standing out a bit more at work, I will think about it, but that's all."

"That's all I asked," Steve said, nodding.

Millie was rethinking it a week later, and cursing loudly.

"I need to see Commander McGarrett, buster, now!" she said to the HPD officer, who was flatly refusing to let her past the police line. "I'm Millie Thompson, his freaking secretary, you moron!"


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but unless I see a badge, I can't let you past this line," the officer said in a bored voice, dismissing her.

Millie scowled, tempted to hit the arrogant prick with her files. There was a group of thieves holed up in a nearby building in the historical district, and they were armed. Millie had been sent to try and find the hardcopy of the blue prints of the building to try and see if maybe there was a way in that wasn't readily known.

Then she saw Sergeant Lukela and yelled, "Duke! Tell this bonehead to let me past the line! I need to find McGarrett!"

Duke grinned at her, but gestured at the officer to let her by. "Yes, Boss Lady," he said. "Don't hurt him too much; he's a new guy and doesn't know your infamous reputation for ball busting."

"Oh up your nose!" Millie shot back. "Where's Steve?" Duke pointed towards what looked like a command station. "Thank you. Now kindly teach that charming young man some manners before I put my foot up his ass next time!" And with that, Millie hurried over to Steve and the others, who were grinning at her.

"What?" she snapped, blushing.

"Did you find them?" Steve asked, wisely not answering.

"Not only did I find the blueprints from the recent renovation, as well as what looks like plan adjustments, but I also found the original blueprints from when the building was first erected in 1948."

"Great, great. Why was the renovation plan adjusted?"

"From what I could tell, there was a wall the original builders had installed. It was deemed part of the structural support of the building and if that wall came down, then the whole building would be seriously compromised. Since they couldn't remove that wall, they had to adjust the plans. Too much Holmes on Homes, I'm afraid."

"Does that mean I get to call you when I need to have something fixed?" Danny asked hopefully.

"Only if you want me to wall you up alive," she shot back. "Anyway, this is where it gets interesting," she continued, pulling up a photocopy of an older blueprint. "The original builders put in what looks like a servant tunnel from the basement to these buildings over here, which were once servant quarters. I did a fast flash-forward; that building is still standing and is over there and privately owned by a holding company," she continued, pointing at an ordinary-looking historical building a block down from their location. "It's primarily used as a meeting place and they have a cleaning crew that comes in twice a week, but beyond that, it's out of the way and usually empty, especially at night." Millie grinned at them. "If I can find that tunnel on these blueprints, wanna bet your bad boys did too?"

"Which would explain how they plan to get out," said Lou.

"Get over there quickly and quietly, block off both ends, and the ball is in your court," Millie advised.

"We need a recon," Steve said. "Guess what, Millie?"

"Not a chance!"

Ten minutes later, Millie was at the building, unlocking the back door, and swearing about stubborn men who got too big for their britches.

"_What was that, Millie? I didn't quite catch that_," Steve teased, watching her enter the building through binoculars. She was hooked up to a cellphone headset to cover her talking and hearing.

"If you guys insist on doing this to me, I'm going to insist on a badge of my own, especially when I'm dealing with rookie cops," she muttered, swinging her flashlight around.

"_That wouldn't be such a bad idea_," Chin said. "_But it means you'll have to carry a gun_."

"I'll carry your books, I'll carry a torch, I'll carry a tune, I'll carry on, carry over, carry forward, Cary Grant, cash and carry, carry me back to Old Virginia, I'll even 'hari-kari' if you show me how, but I will not carry a gun," Millie recited calmly.

"_You watch a lot of M.A.S.H_," Kono guessed, recognizing the quote.

"With Gram. Had a crush on Hawkeye for years as a teenager," Millie admitted, dropping her voice. "Heading for the basement."

"_Be careful_," Steve cautioned her.

"I've got dust voids on the floor," she said, sweeping her light around, feeling her heart pounding in her chest.

"_According to the blueprints, the tunnel should be off to your left_," said Kono.

Millie grunted in acknowledgement, moving carefully. "When was the last time this place got inventoried?" she hissed, banging her knee on a trunk. "That's gonna leave a mark, if I don't tear my slacks first."

"_Still thinking about wearing jeans to work?_" Steve suggested.

Millie groaned softly. "Thinking about a lot of things right now, sweetcheeks, some of which would make you blush." Like the pair of light blue skinny jeans with black lace detailing she'd bought on impulse two days ago. Or maybe even the dark blue boot cut jeans that would look fabulous with her gold Victorian lace and leather booties, and black stretch-velvet organza-trimmed corset top. Then she spotted something; old boards stacked neatly on the floor, and an open tunnel. "Hello there," she whispered. "Found the tunnel and the marks on the floor say it's in use." She looked around and spotted what looked like backpacks and clothing. "And what do we have here? If I had to guess, I'd say these bad boys are going to use this tunnel over there, come out over here, change their clothes, and blend in and vanish in the crowds. I'm seeing clothes, empty but open old boxes, and a broom? Good way to remove foot prints; remove the dust, remove the prints."

"_Good. Now get out of there, before they come,_" Steve ordered.

Hearing noises from the tunnel, Millie suddenly turned off her light and hid behind the boxes.

"Get over here yourself," she hissed. "I may have company!"

Steve swore. "_Hide, fast. And please tell me you left the back door unlocked_."

If Millie could have glared at him, she would have. "I'm going to pretend you didn't just say that." She spotted a board and an idea came to mind. Grabbing the board and praying it was just one person, she positioned herself on one side of the tunnel. The person, a mean-looking woman with her blonde hair pulled into a ponytail, never saw Millie, just the board that made solid contact with her face. She went down without a sound.

"_Millie? What did you just do?_" Steve demanded, hearing her grunt.

"I never was very good at following orders," she admitted, tying up the woman's hands and feet with some zip ties found in a nearby tool box. "Think I just introduced myself to their scout, a woman with light hair in a ponytail. Mean-looking bitch, and she was armed." She dragged the woman behind the boxes and slapped duct tape on her mouth, before removing a rather nice looking black Beretta 90two, two spare clips of 9 by 19 millimeter bullets, and a nasty-looking hunting knife. "Not anymore."

"_And you said you don't want to be in the field?_" Lou asked.

"Oh I am absol-freakin'-lutely terrified here, big guy," Millie admitted, seeing to it that the gun was loaded and ready to fire. "I'm surprised you can't hear my heart pounding through the headset!"

"_That explains the funny thumping noise we were hearing_," Chin teased.

"I'm-a gonna thump you a fast one, boy," Millie shot back.

"_We're here. Get out of there_," Steve said.

Then the woman's radio crackled. "Hey Megara, are we clear?" a male voice demanded.

"You get that?" Millie demanded.

"Can you answer that? Carefully?" Steve asked, coming down the stairs, his weapon at the ready.

Millie shrugged. "Fake it 'till you make it," she said. She found the button on the radio and answered, covering the microphone to muffle her voice. "We're clear," she said.

"_Good. We're coming out. Get ready to go_," the male voice replied.

Steve got in touch with Duke and told him to move his people in. They would cover the tunnel from their end and snag anyone coming out.

Then Millie had a question. "If these guys see you with your weapons and all that before they even leave the tunnel, there's going to be a shooting war, and there's not a lot of coverage," she pointed out. "Wouldn't it be a good idea if they all came out before you jumped them?"

"She's right," Leo admitted. "You got any ideas?"

"Yeah, abet reluctantly," Millie admitted.

"Then we're going to have to move fast," Steve said, hearing someone coming down the tunnel.

Millie yanked off her dark blue polo shirt, revealing a very nice white and yellow underwire bandeau bikini, ignoring the way the guys' eyes nearly fell out of their head. "Throw me that blanket," she said, indicating a wool blanket near one wall. Kono did so, and the team vanished amid the boxes, while Millie removed her pants and shoes, bunched the blanket across her front, undid her bun and mused up her hair. Then she snagged the gun, a kind donation from the grunting, very angry blonde woman, and hid it under the blanket.

Then they waited. When the lights got closer, Millie giggled.

"Sweetie, I think you left your shirt upstairs," she said.

"Along with most of your clothes," Steve said, playing along.

"I'll go and get them before we get caught," Millie said, and she stepped into the line of sight. Her eyes went wide at the sight of three men, all staring at her. They were all wearing body armour, carrying face masks, guns, and flashlights.

"Oopsie," she squeaked, yanking the blanket higher up her chest. She was wearing a white and yellow bikini bottom that matched her top, but the minimal coverage gave the impression she wasn't wearing anything at all. She began to back towards the stairs, and as she did so, the men followed her, raising their weapons.

"Where do you think you're going, darling?" one man asked, leering at her.

Millie dropped the pretense, seeing Kono, Lou, and Danny slowly sneak up on the men from behind. "To the beach, later today. As for you idiots, jail. Five-0, you're under arrest." And she dropped the blanket and aimed her gun at them, smiling coldly. Steve and Chin joined her, weapons aimed and ready. "I wouldn't try and run," she said. "There's three more of us behind you. Oh, and that blonde? She's a little tied up at the moment, so I wouldn't count on her for help. Weapons on the ground, hands behind your heads, boys. Now."

"I just have one question," one man asked.

"What?" Steve asked.

"Do you always dress like that for work, or did you decide to make this a special occasion? Because if that's your work outfit, I wouldn't mind getting arrested by you again," the man said, causing Millie's face to turn scarlet.

"Do me a favor?" she asked, ignoring the grins from the others.

"Anything for you, babe," the man said.

"Exercise your Miranda Rights, and shut up," she said.

Later, as they watched the would-be thieves being escorted away, Steve nudged Millie's shoulder. "For someone who doesn't carry a gun, you sure know how to use one." She was dressed again, but her hair was still loose around her face.

"I have a gun licence. That means I know how to use one. I just don't own one, and I would rather keep it that way," Millie replied.

"Either way, you earned your badge today," Steve said. "I'll make sure you get one."

"I don't want to be a cop," she warned him.

"You're not, but you are part of our team, and it's time it was shown," he said, already figuring out how he was going to convince Governor Denning to issue Millie a proper badge. She was part of their team and had proved it today. She needed to wear a badge.

It took about a week, but they got her a badge.

"I thought she didn't want to go in to the field," Denning had asked, upon receiving the request.

"She didn't," Danny replied.

"You should see the claw marks in the door frame and the drag marks on the floor," Lou offered.

"But we need her, and she's good. The problem is, without a badge, she's going to run in to problems with HPD officers who don't recognize her," Chin said.

"And this issue of her not using a gun?" Denning asked.

"She knows how to use one, she just won't carry one, but we'll work on that," Steve promised.

"And it would be nice to have another girl on the team, especially in the field, and especially one that isn't seen very often," Kono pointed out. "She's not a cop. She doesn't act like a cop, and she has no formal training in any armed forces branches, so she doesn't move like a cop, which is to our benefit."

In the end, Denning agreed to the badge, the rank, and her position.

Knowing Millie wasn't big on ceremony and tended to blush easily, it was agreed to go easy on her. Rather than presenting it to her, they put the badge in a nice little box and left it on her desk one evening, when she went to go get more coffee, as she caught up on paperwork.

When she came back and opened the box, Steve, hidden by her doorframe, watched as her eyes went wide.

"Officer Thompson," she said softly, reading the card that had been put in the box. "Logistics Support."

Steve watched as Millie took out the badge and studied it, watching it gleam in the light, holding it almost reverently. She rubbed her thumb across the raised logo, looking contemplative. Then she picked up her cellphone, thumbed through what he guessed was her contact list before hitting one. Someone answered and she laughed.

"Bullshit, you old fart. There's only a three hour difference between here and Oregon. How's Mom? Yeah? That's good. You guys really need to come down here for a week or two, teach my guys a thing or two." She laughed at the reply. "Listen, you're not going to believe this, but I have a badge, an actual shield. I just got it. I'm serious. Seems Steve and the others, they decided they needed me out in the field, and a piece of plastic just wasn't going to cut it. Yeah, I need to wear a gun, and the guys are nagging me about it, but meh, I'm not worried. I'm Officer Millie Thompson, with Logistics Support as my department, but yeah, it's a genuine Five-0 Taskforce badge. It's real, and it scares the crap out of me..."

Steve smiled.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"I can't; I have plans this weekend," Millie said.

"Doing what?" Steve asked.

"HSPCA, laundry, and I think I saw a very large dust bunny under my bed. They grow to massive proportions, you know."

"Really? How big are we talking here?"

"I think it had babies."

"Cute. That's what you said last week."

"I didn't get them all?" Millie asked hopefully.

"Nice try. Look, it's very simple. We'll go to the gun range and do a simple run-through with a gun, including field-stripping and firing," Steve coaxed.

It had been over a week, almond two, since Millie had gotten her badge, and Steve was once again on her case about having a gun. He was trying to convince her to go to the gun range with him, again, and again she was using every excuse she could come up with to get out of it.

"Not a chance," Millie replied. "I don't like guns. I accept the fact that they're part of your job, but I don't want them to be part of mine. That's all I'm going to say on the subject."

Looking at her determined face, Steve decided to drop the subject for now. It seemed Millie could be very stubborn when she chose to be, but then again, he was a Navy SEAL, and a different breed of stubbornness all together.

Saturday morning, just after seven-thirty, Steve quietly unlocked the door to Millie's apartment. While she had been at lunch, he had taken her house key and gotten it copied. He already knew where she lived, and had even brought a fresh chunk of Aku, or Skipjack tuna, as a bribe for Lunkhead.

When he entered the quiet apartment, Lunkhead appeared, tail swishing dangerously.

"Hello, Lunkey," he whispered, letting the cat sniff his fingers. Then Lunkhead sniffed the air, smelling the Aku. "You want this, don't you?" he asked.

He went to Millie's kitchen and quickly found a plate for the tuna. It took him less than a minute to put the tuna on a plate and on the floor. Lunkhead attacked the fish, tail swishing.

While the cat ate, Steve checked Millie's coffeemaker and supplies and soon had a fresh pot going. The pot had a button in it that allowed him to snag a cup of coffee before the pot was completely full. Then he headed down the hallway to Millie's bedroom.

She was curled up on her side, under a brightly coloured quilt, when he sat down on the edge of her bed and gently tapped her on her bare shoulder. She rolled over, opened her eyes blearily, and grunted softly.

"Oh. You. Okay."

Then she rolled over and went back to sleep. He was about to tap her shoulder when she suddenly muttered, "Waid-a-freakin'-minute." She rolled back over, opened her eyes again, looking at him. "You're kidding me."

"Good morning," he said pleasantly, taking a sip of coffee.

"Morning, yes. Good, no. Dare I ask how you managed to get in to my apartment?" she asked, sitting up on her elbows, revealing a pretty light blue lace racerback cotton chemise.

He smiled. "I have my ways," he said.

"Cute." She glanced at her alarm clock. It took two seconds for her to comprehend the time. Then she yelped, "Are you out of your ever loving mind, McGarrett?!"

"Nope."

She groaned, flopping down on her bed. "Lunkhead, get him!"

"I wouldn't count on him for backup support; he bribes easily, especially with fresh fish," he said, taking another sip.

"_Traitor!_" she yelled in the general direction of her cat. " The least you could do is bring me coffee!" she grumped at Steve.

"There's a fresh pot in your kitchen, but the catch is, you have to get up to get it."

"I hate you," she grumbled, shoving her hair out of her face.

He just grinned at her. "I love you too. All that aside, now that you're awake and I have your attention, you're mine for the next three hours."

"What a charming thought. Not!"

Millie grabbed a shower and got dressed after that, while Steve wisely stayed in the living room and kitchen, petting a purring Lunkhead and studying her home.

He found a graduation photo of a younger Millie with her arms around a woman with black hair and a man with salt and pepper hair. He spotted the gold badge on the man's hip, and wondered if the woman was Susan, the person who's name Millie had taken as her middle name.

Again he wondered about her older brothers and her mother, Janice, as there were no photographs of them anywhere. What did they do to her to inspire so much bitterness and refusal to speak of?

He did find a photograph of Millie with her arms around an elderly woman he recognized as Gram. From the looks of it, it was probably one of the last pictures taken, as Gram looked frail. Then he noticed something on Gram's left hand; a familiar-looking diamond ring. From the position and the gold band, Steve realized Millie was wearing her grandmother's engagement ring.

She came in to the living room, braiding her damp hair, and when he saw the pink tank shirt that she was wearing with capri jeans and neon-coloured ankle socks, he grinned.

"_Dear Karma, I have a list of people you missed_," he read.

"Who are they?" he asked, referring to the photograph, while she got a cup of coffee and started making up a bowl of cereal.

"Them? That's Sergeant Michael Phelps and his wife, Susan, at my high school graduation. My older brothers were too busy to come, not that they gave a damn anyway, and Janice basically washed her hands of me after I was arrested. Mike and Susan fostered me, becoming my parents, and showed me what it meant to have parents who cared, and stopped me from going down a really dark road." She joined him, working her way through a bowl of what looked like frosted Mini Wheats with a jam fruit centre. He snitched one, having never tried them before.

"These are good; what are they?" he asked. She told him and he made a mental note to pick some up the next time he was at the grocery store. They would make a good snack, especially the next time Grace was over.

"Okay, I'm awake, I'm dressed. What are you doing here?" Millie demanded.

"We're going down to the gun range. No _ifs, ands_ or _buts_, because if I have to, I will carry you over my shoulder," Steve said.

Millie stared at him, trying to ignore the way his chest and arms looked. "You stubborn son of a bitch," she groaned. "You don't fight fair, do you?"

He just folded his arms across his chest, stretching his shirt, and smiled at her. "I can't afford to fight fair, not when it comes to your safety. I'll even buy you another cup of coffee when we're done," he coaxed.

After a moment, Millie gave in. "Fine! But I'm holding you to that coffee!"

"What the hell kind of truck is that?" Steve demanded, looking at a very battered red truck that Millie had pointed out in answer to his question about what she drove. The truck, an old 1978 GMC Sierra Grande 1500, had a canopy on the back and more dents and dings and rust in various spots than Steve thought was even possible for an old truck.

"Hey, it's an old truck, but works," Millie shot back. "It handles dirt roads great, and I can transport dogs and cats easily with it. I do admit, though, it farts like crazy if I sit at an intersection for too long, or when I put a full tank of gas in it, but meh, it works."

"Have you had the muffler checked?" he asked, eyes wide.

"About six times. Scared the hell of the dogs once, but oh well. The motor runs smoothly, the brakes are good, the wipers, lights, and horn work, and the seat doesn't have springs that poke holes in my backside, and that's all I care about."

At the gun range, they signed in and showed both their identification and their gun licenses. Then Steve selected several guns, took them to the shooting range, and laid them out on the table, disarmed, with their respective clips beside them. There was a SIG P226R, which was Steve's preferred sidearm, a SIG P224, which was a nice subcompact Sig Sauer, a Heckler and Koch P30 (Danny's preferred sidearm), a subcompact Heckler and Koch P2000, a Ruger 9E, a Ruger SR9c, a Glock 17, and a Glock 26 subcompact.

"These are all guns the military or law enforcement agencies use. They all use nine millimetre rounds in varying numbers per clip. The subcompact models are lighter and a bit smaller, but just as effective," Steve explained. "I want you to pick one you feel comfortable with, weight-wise and grip-wise."

"I recognize these two," Millie said, pointing to the SIG P226R and the Heckler and Koch P30.

"The SIG is my preferred sidearm and the H and K is Danny's. Kono recommend the Glock 26 because of your small hands, and it uses ten nine mill rounds, which isn't bad for a small Glock."

"Why do you recommend the ones with the nine mills?" she asked.

"It's a more common bullet with law enforcement agencies, especially in a fire fight, which I hope you never get into, but it's better to be safe than sorry."

"True. All right, what do you want me to do?" she asked.

"Pick one, we'll walk through the loading and arming and then I want to see you shoot."

"And if I do all that, and prove I know what I'm doing, you'll lay off on the subject?"

"I promise," he said, lying through his teeth.

"Fine." Millie put her safety glasses and ear protectors on, and before Steve even realized what she was doing, she had picked up the Glock 17, slapped in the eleven round clip, pulled the slide back so there was now one round in the firing chamber, and yelled, "Going live!"

Steve stared at her in shock, but moved behind her, getting his glasses and ear protection on. Her target was an easy five yards, or fifteen feet, away.

Then, almost methodically, Millie fired off five rounds. She paused at the next round, adjusted her aim, and fired off one more shot. Then she engaged the safety on the Glock, removed the clip, and ejected the last round from the firing chamber.

Steve hit the button that would bring the paper target to them, and as he did, he felt his mouth falling open. With the exception of her last shot, all of Millie's bullets were clustered together in the chest area of the bad guy on the paper. Her last shot, however, had him mentally cringing; it was in the groin area.

"That was deliberate, wasn't it?" he asked.

"And that is what will happen to you if you ever let on to the others about this," she said softly, moving closer and silently daring him to argue with her.

"Get a gun and keep it in your desk, at least, and I won't say another word," he promised, trying to ignore the sweet smell of her perfume.

"Deal. Where can I get a Glock like this one?"

"I know one or two places. Why the Glock?"

"It's what I was taught to use when I was first learning to handle a gun," she admitted. "It's the standard weapon for Portland PD officers and what Dad uses as his primary. It was what I used to acquire my license. Like I said, I can, but I don't."

"And if you're out in the field with us, you will, and I'm not budging on that. I need to know you can defend yourself or us if we run into problems. That's the way it is, especially with that badge."

She huffed. "Fine. Now, with all this said and done, can we please get some more coffee? I'm desperate," she begged.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"Well?" Lou asked.

It was Monday morning and the team knew Steve had planned to kidnap Millie over the weekend, and take her to the gun range.

"We did. She put up a bit of a fuss, but we did," Steve admitted.

"How bad?" Danny asked.

Millie wasn't in the office area; she was down at the courthouse, filing the latest papers for Five-0, allowing them time to talk in private.

Steve pulled up the photograph of the target he'd taken.

"Not bad," Chin said. "What did she use?"

"The Glock 17," Steve replied. "Same one her dad uses."

Lou tipped his head, noticing something. "Uh, it looks like she missed one, maybe."

"The one in the groin area?" Steve asked. "That was deliberate; Millie said that if I ever let it slip to you guys that she does actually know how to shoot, I wouldn't be able to give Joan any cousins."

Kono laughed and the guys cringed.

"Did she at least agree to get a gun?" Danny asked.

"She did. Seems she favours the Glock 17 because that was what Sergeant Michael Phelps taught her to use. It turns out he and his wife, Susan, fostered Millie after her mom, to quote her, washed her hands of her after she was arrested."

Chin did some typing and quickly found Michael Phelps' file.

"Detective Sergeant Michael Phelps, Portland PD. Several commendations, looks like a fair number of solved cases under his belt, mostly with the gang division," Chin said, glancing through the file. He pulled up Susan Phelps' DMV picture, and then pictures of Andrew and Sean Phelps, their sons. Sean was showing wearing a Portland PD uniform.

"Wonder how she got along with the sons?" Danny asked.

"I don't know, but from the way she was talking to Michael, I think it's fair to say she still has a good relationship with him and Susan," Steve said.

"What the hell did she do that would have her own family dump her?" Lou wondered yet again.

Friday night, after a long week of catching bad guys, Five-0 finally got their answer.

It was late and they were rewarding themselves with dinner from a local pizza delivery company. A little coaxing had convinced Millie to hang around after six, especially with the promise of a pizza with pepperoni and extra cheese.

The subject turned to stunts they had pulled as kids, with Millie mostly listening.

"We've all done things we're not proud of," Chin said, turning his attention to Millie. "Whatever it is you did, you've paid for it. What your family did, dumping you just because you did something stupid, that is stupid itself, and yeah, it smarts like hell, but then you learn to find or make your own family, like I did."

"Like the Phelps did," said Kono.

Millie was quiet. It was late, she was tired, full, and comfortable. Somehow she found herself relaxing, relaxing enough to let her guard down. Maybe it wouldn't do any harm to tell them...

"Aggravated assault," she finally said quietly, staring at her coffee.

"You beat someone?" Danny asked.

"I put the bitch in hospital for a week," Millie replied. She went silent, remembering, and they let her, knowing patience was the name of the game here. "She was a bully at school, one of at least three. I was on my way home, cutting through the back area of the gym, heard laughter and crying and went to check it out. Always been too nosy for my own good."

"What did you find?" Steve asked gently.

Millie rubbed her lip, remembering. "This blonde bitch beating up on this crying girl. Seen her around before, mostly math and science class. Brown hair, glasses, braces, bookworm-type girl. Harmless. The kid had her shirt torn, split lip, and tears. The other two, they were laughing. I blew."

"You attacked the blonde to save her victim," Chin said.

"My backpack was heavy that day. The other two, they ran after I kicked one in the nuts. The blonde, she was bigger than me and tried to fight back, but I was in a blind rage. I only stopped when her victim, Tammy I think her name was, begged me to. We got out of there but I left my bag behind. That was how the cops found me."

"Where did you go?" Lou asked.

"Took Tammy to a community medical centre; she needed first aid and we didn't think the school nurse would be around."

"That was good of you," said Kono.

"When the cops found us, I had put my jacket around Tammy because her shirt was torn, and I had my arm around her. The cops arrested me and I didn't put up a fight, but Tammy did. They tried to charge her with obstruction of justice but I convinced her to stop before they could. Said it didn't matter if I was arrested, as long as she was okay."

"How did the Phelps family get involved?" Chin asked.

"Mike was one of the detectives at the Portland PD station when I was brought in. I didn't fight the cops, or anyone. Aside from speaking when spoken to, I didn't say a word. Shock, fear, shame... That was a very long hour while I was processed. When Peter came in, after an officer had called him about me, he was told I could be remanded to his custody, as long as I appeared in court to face the judge. Peter refused. He said I needed to be taught a lesson and could stay in jail until it was time to see the judge. He said I was trouble from the day I was born, and I always would be."

"Bastard," Danny muttered.

Millie continued. "When Mike, Dad, overheard the way Peter was talking about me, and seeing the way I was crying, he said he felt something in him."

"You were just a kid," Lou said. "You may have beaten someone up, but you didn't deserve that."

"That's what Dad said, especially after reports started coming in about the blonde and her buddies. It seemed Tammy wasn't the only victim. I would later find out there were a handful of others, just like Tammy, and that there had been at least one suicide attributed to these charming kids," Millie said.

"Oh jeez," said Steve, rubbing his lip.

"The parents all said I did what the school and no one else could or would do, and that's stop them. When my case went before the judge, based on recommendations by Dad and the ADA, I was given two hundred hours of community service. Dad explained my home life to the judge and offered to foster me, saying if I returned home, there was a good chance I would be right back in jail. If I went with him and Susan, Mom, I would stand a better chance. Gram loved me, but her health was poor and she wouldn't be able to handle me, even if I wanted to stay with her. The Phelps were my best chance."

"What about your other mom? Surely she had a say in things?" Kono asked.

"She didn't care. Peter was there and he warned the judge I was nothing but trouble. At the time, he had just passed the bar exam, so he was showboating."

"Your brother's a lawyer?" Danny asked. "Charming."

Millie smiled tightly. "I was scared of Susan and Mike at first, not sure of what they wanted, just a very bitter, very hurt kid. Susan, she, she had sons about two years older than me, so for her to have a girl under her roof, especially one that needed what she called a healthy dose of good loving, she welcomed me with both arms." She laughed. "Suddenly I had this woman fussing over me like I'd never known. When she learned of my home life, she was determined I was going to learn how to be a girl. I learned about makeup, clothes, she even helped me get my ears pierced. I even got this one on her dare." Millie tapped the upper shell of her right ear, where a gold hoop gleamed, holding a pearl ball. "Andrew and Sean, their sons, showed me what it was like to have brothers who cared. They even hassled this guy at school who thought I would be easy because I had been arrested. When I left for Hawaii, I was their baby sister in more than just spirit. Thanks to them, I can fish and change the oil on my truck myself. They weren't above putting a rubber snake in my bed either," she said, giggling at the memory.

"What about Mike?" Steve asked.

"Mike? He taught me about country music, how to drive, how to hit a ball instead of someone's face, how to deal with boys with wandering hands, and how to handle a gun."

"Okay, just for the sake of a father with a daughter rapidly approaching teenagehood, how do you deal with boys with wandering hands? You, know, just so I know what kind of pain you can inflict on boys who put their hands where they don't belong," Danny asked.

"I can do one of two things; break their fingers, or give them a really nasty sprain in their thumb. I prefer to reserve the finger-breaking for the real assholes."

"Good to know. Can you teach Grace for me?" Danny asked hopefully.

Millie stared at him for a second, then started laughing.

"Wait a minute; community service. Who did you do it with?" Steve asked.

"Would you believe with the Portland PD? That was largely due to Mike. The first few days, I cleaned out their filing room. It was hot, messy, and dirty, but I loved it," Millie said. "Then one of the clerks needed help with typing and filing. Turned out I was good at it. The next thing I know, my two hundred hours are up and I'm being told to not forget to pick up my paycheck. I was sixteen and got my first bad case of whiplash."

"Sweet," said Kono, grinning.

Later, as they were heading for their respective vehicles, Chin stopped Millie.

"Are you familiar with the word 'ohana?" he asked.

"I've heard it but never been too sure of the context," she replied.

"It means family," he said. "Your birth family may have turned their back on you, but here, that doesn't matter. You're part of our 'ohana now, and that means that no matter how bad things get, we won't turn our backs on you."

"And if I stumble and fall again?"

"Then we help you get back up, again, the way family is supposed to." Then he surprised her by giving her a tight hug. "See you tomorrow, Kaikuahine."

Then Kono gave her a hug. "Thank you for telling us. Now we understand."

Danny was next. "Now we know who to beat up on if they dare show up on our island."

Then Lou. "You need to teach my daughter your tricks."

Steve escorted her to her truck. "What does _Kaikuahine_ mean?" she asked him as they walked.

"_Little sister_," he replied. "Why?"

"It's what Chin called me," she admitted.

When they got to her truck, he gave her a hug and said, "Because you're family, and it's time you realized that. Goodnight, Nani."

It wasn't until after Millie got home and looked up the word Nani, guessing it to be a Hawaiian word. When she did, her face went scarlet.

_Nani_ meant _beautiful_.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

The next two weeks were busy for Five-0, with some events that had Millie seriously wondering if the Fates were playing a huge joke on her.

Last Wednesday, she found herself down at the docks once again, carrying her fishing gear and wearing a com set. Five-0 had their eye on a thief suspect, Wade Kirk, who had a habit of running, but it was known he liked fishing and pretty girls, so once again, Millie was bait. They had been rotating through Wade's known fishing spots for the last few days, hoping for a bite, but no luck so far. The only thing that had bitten was the fish, resulting in a very happy Lunkhead.

At one of the docks, they hit pay dirt. Wade Kirk was there and he appeared to be alone. He was around the six-foot mark, shaggy blonde hair, tanned skin, and in a tank and shorts, just like her.

Working on direction from Steve, she found a spot near him, but not close enough to get their lines tied.

In denim shorts, white tied tank shirt, hair down, baseball hat, runners, and one of Steve's short-sleeve dress shirts to hide the com set, her gun, and her sunburned shoulders (thanks to shore fishing in her favourite bandeau bikini top), even Lou had to admit she was an eye-catcher. The only visible weapon she appeared to have was a sharpened fillet knife she had in a leather scabbard, which was attached to her belt.

"Fishing good?" she asked him, flashing a friendly smile.

"Nothing biting so far, but you're welcome to try," Wade said, smiling back cautiously.

Millie set her tackle box down, sat down on the edge of the dock, and took off her runners, flashing bright blue painted toes. Then she set her hook and tossed her line in the water.

"_You do know how to flirt, don't you? I mean, I'm assuming that's how you got your date last week_," Danny teased.

Millie growled softly under her breath, bringing her hand up to rub her lip and cover her reply.

"I'm friends with your girlfriend, Williams," she hissed. She heard laughter in her ear, then she turned and glanced at Wade, smiling shyly.

"This is going to sound like a bad pick-up line, but do you come here often?" she asked.

Wade grinned at her. "That is bad, but that's okay. Yeah, I do. You?"

"Not necessarily here, but I do have to fish on a regular basis," she replied. "My rescue kitty won't eat canned cat food, so I have to raid the fish market or go fishing regularly."

Wade laughed but quickly scrambled to his feet when Millie yelped, feeling a sharp tug on her line.

"Bite?" he asked, concerned.

"Feels like it!" she said, scrambling to her feet to avoid being pulled into the water.

"_You hook the fish and then you hook him_," Steve instructed, already steadily moved closer.

Millie grunted in affirmation, which Wade thankfully thought was effort from pulling up her fish.

"Good! You're doing really good!" he coaxed. "Don't let that sucker get away!"

"He'd better not!" Millie growled.

"_Oh he won't_," Lou quietly promised in her ear.

It took a few minutes more but then Millie managed to land a nice fish that would keep Lunkhead happy. A whack to the head terminated its life.

"Thank you for your help," she gushed.

"A pleasure. I'm Wade," he said, offering his hand.

She accepted it, then gripped him hard while removing her gun and aiming it at him.

"And I'm Five-0. You're under arrest, Mr. Kirk," Millie said, smiling, letting go of his hand to properly support her gun. "Down on your knees, hands behind your head please."

Wade was reluctantly complying when he spotted the rest of the team rushing up to join her. Fear crossed his face and he suddenly attacked, ducking under Millie's arms, and shoving her into the water.

She screamed, not hearing Steve yell her name.

Wade didn't get very far.

With Kono peering over the edge of the dock while Wade was secured, Millie surfaced, coughing and spluttering.

"Are you okay?" Kono called.

"I have sunburned shoulders!" Millie shot back. "Guess!"

Thankfully there was a ladder near the docks and Millie was able to get herself out of the water, groaning softly in pain.

Steve was there, offering her a hand.

"Question; how do I clean an ocean-dipped gun?" she asked, holding up her wet Glock and shoving her wet hair out of her face.

"Rinse it in clean water, then clean it like normal," he advised. "Good thing it's a warm day; you'll dry off faster."

"But will the com unit dry out?"

"Eventually," he assured her.

They rejoined the team and watched as a sulking Wade was put in a patrol car for transport back to HPD for interrogation.

"Can I say, just for the record, that was embarrassing?" Millie asked.

"But you did such a good job!" Danny said, patting her sore shoulder.

He wound up limping back to Five-0 Headquarters after getting her heel in his and her elbow in his stomach.

Sunburned shoulders, a dunk in the ocean, that was mild, Millie realized two days, trying to scrape her hair into some semblance of order. She had a twist bobby pin in her mouth and was trying to comb her tangled, damp hair into a bun. One pin rolled off her desk and under it, causing Millie to give a strangled curse and dive after it.

"Millie?" Steve called, stepping into her office, looking for her.

Startled, Millie jumped and cracked her head on the underside of her desk, resulting in more swearing.

"Are you okay?" Steve asked, watching as Millie emerged from under her desk, rubbing her head.

"Ever heard about the kid who had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day?" she asked, leaning her chin against her desk and looking at him tiredly.

"Heard of the book," he admitted. "You?"

She stood up, revealing her green spaghetti strap bra top and, surprisingly enough, worn skinny jeans. "Beyond, and I didn't even get a shower or coffee before coming in."

"Why?" he asked, already making a mental note to get her a cup of coffee.

"Bloody blasted furball tripped me up, causing me to drop my coffee pot," Millie groused. "Then I get a cold shower because it turns out the building hot water heater is screwed and won't be fixed until Thursday at the earliest."

"Nice," said Steve, leaned against her doorframe and folding his arms acres his chest.

"So I'm already grumpy, and then I get stuck in traffic, which is never a good thing for my truck."

"How loud?"

"Window rattler."

Steve winced, trying not to laugh. "And you're in jeans," he noted.

"Did I mention I couldn't get to the building wash machine?" she asked. "I was thinking about taking care of it maybe tomorrow, if I can get the time, and find some way of convincing that slime-ball, Jeffery Adams, to stay away from me."

"That lawyer guy you were talking to at the courthouse last time?"

Millie groaned. "I hate lawyers, especially defence lawyers. So right now, I am feeling grubby, craving coffee, and still suffering sore shoulders. Have pity on me, please."

Steve grinned at her. "Tell you what; I will do more than that. It's quiet right now, so we will go by your apartment and you pick up whatever you need to have a shower. Then I will not only take you some place where you can have an actual shower, I will see to it you get a fresh cup of coffee. Oh, and bring whatever you need to do a load of laundry."

"Whatever this going to cost me?" she asked suspiciously.

He shrugged. "Just a friend trying to help a friend," he said. Then he grinned. "Although a batch of those raisin butter tarts would be very welcome."

Millie stared at him for a moment, then laughed softly. "Yup; Gram was right. The fastest way to a guy's hear is through his stomach, and I'm not even aiming!"

"Hey, they were good!"

Half an hour later, Millie was showered and feeling clean once again, thanks to the fact that Steve had taken her to his place for a shower. While she showered, he threw a basket of her laundry in his wash machine. He didn't bother sorting it after Millie explained that all of her clothes, with the exception of her swimsuits, were toss-and-wash.

When she came into the kitchen, braiding her damp hair, he offered her a cup of coffee.

"Mana from heaven," she sighed, after taking a sip. "Thank you."

He smiled. "You're welcome. How are your shoulders?"

"Sore. Been using an after-sun lotion on them, where I could reach anyway, but since the skin is peeling, I figure I'm healing."

"Have you tried coconut oil?"

"No, because I didn't realize I could. I don't burn like this that often."

He went to one of his cupboards and pulled out a container of coconut oil. "It's also good for cooking," he said, carefully applying the soft solid oil to her shoulders.

"Good to know," she said, liking the way his hands felt and cursing herself for even thinking that. He was practically her boss, damnit!

Then her cellphone beeped, signalling incoming messages.

One was from her foster brother, Andrew, or Drew as she called him, saying he would be in Honolulu within the next week or two. That resulted in an excited yell from Millie.

The second one was from Slime-ball Jeffery Adams, asking her for a date that evening. Millie groaned.

"I am not interested!" she hissed, trying to figure out how to politely respond. After all, there might come a day Adams was defending one of their bad boys and she didn't want to take a chance of him going after her in court. "How the hell do I politely tell him to fog off, and how did he get this number? I didn't give it to him."

"Ask him," Steve suggested.

She did, and the reply was he'd seen it when she'd written it down for the court clerk she'd been chatting with, in case there was a problem with the papers.

"Isn't that eavesdropping?" Steve asked, eyebrows going up.

"Very much, but not the first time it's happened," Millie admitted. "Some guys have said I tend to be a bit standoffish and that trying to extract information from me is like pulling teeth, but I prefer to think of it as protecting my privacy and the privacy of the cops I work with, whom I usually have privileged information on. Once dated this guy who only wanted some information he thought I could get him, information he wasn't legally allowed to have and could have gotten good people hurt. Broke my heart, Mike tried to break his legs, and it taught me a lesson about keeping my job and my personal life separate."

"Smart," he said. That also explained a few things... "Tell him that because of that little confession, he just lost any chance, not that he had much of one to begin with. Your cell number is privileged information and he wasn't privy to it."

She did, and a moment later she received a reply.

"Ouch," she said.

"A high and mighty bitch, huh?" Steve said, reading the text.

"I may be high and mighty, but it weeds out the jerks faster," she said, sending the reply. "Have a nice day."

"Smooth," he said, grinning.

"And that is the end of him. He tries anything and I'll file a complaint with his people."

"Sounds good. You hungry? I'm thinking lunch."

Millie smiled. "Now that's an idea I can do. Nice place, by the way."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Someone tapped on Steve's door, and he looked up. An HPD officer was standing there, with a tall, clean-shaven, muscular man in a short-sleeve dress shirt and jeans. The man had dirty blonde hair cut close, a leather messenger bag across his chest, and sunglasses around his neck.

Steve thought he recognized the man. He gestured for them to come in.

"Sir, Drew Phelps asking to see you," said the officer.

"Thanks," said Steve. He offered his hand to the man, who was a hair taller than him. "I'm Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett. Welcome to Five-0."

"Drew Phelps. I understand my sister, Millie Thompson, works here?"

"She does, and she knows you're coming but she didn't know when."

Drew flashed an easy grin. "I know; I didn't tell her. Let's just say I'm overdue for a little payback." He rubbed his hands gleefully. "Is she around right now?"

"I think she went for lunch, but she should be back soon."

"Even better." He reached into the messenger bag and pulled out a furry werewolf mask and gloves that was guaranteed to send anyone running.

"Be careful; she keeps a gun in her desk," Steve warned, grinning.

"Ah, she won't hurt me. Much. Besides, I've had my foot broken and stitches in my arm from being bitten, not to mention having my hand bitten, so not much really bothers me," Drew admitted, following Steve out of his office.

"That sounds nasty. What do you do?" Steve asked.

"Would you believe I'm a veterinarian doctor?" Drew asked. "I specialize in farm animals, mostly livestock." He clucked his tongue. "The broken foot was from when I didn't move fast enough when I was dealing with a bull." He smiled evilly. "Paid him back for it by castrating him."

Steve winced.

The rest of the team were in their respective offices, but joined Steve in the main area when he called for them.

Kono's eyes went a little wide in interest. She might have been engaged to Adam Noshimuri, but that didn't stop her from looking.

"Guys, this is Drew Phelps," Steve said. He introduced them to Drew.

"Is it true Millie scared you and your girlfriend with a werewolf mask?" Danny asked.

"Very true. I was seventeen and Cathy didn't speak to me again after that, until we ran into each other about two years ago," Drew said. Then he grinned, and flashed his left hand, where a gold wedding band sat on the appropriate finger. "According to her, I filled out real good."

Then Lou, who was closest, noticed something on Drew's left hand.

"That's a nasty bite mark. What happened?" he asked.

Drew grinned, showing his hand. The bite mark went across the front and back of his hand. "Was working on a horse with a dental problem. Had to stick my hand in his mouth and he bit down. Took me and two others at least two minutes to get the horse to open his mouth. A horse can bite with over eight hundred pounds of pressure, so you can imagine the pain I was in. Of course, that wasn't as bad as my broken foot from a bull I was trying to castrate, or the fractured thigh bone from a kick I took from a horse." He clucked his tongue. "Those were the days."

"How long are you on the island? Because my daughter would love to have you visit her school," said Danny.

Steve placed a quick call to the front desk of the HPD building, asking them to let him know when Millie came back.

"So what's this I hear about Millie taking a swim off a pier last week?" Drew asked, curious about the people his baby sister worked with.

"Oh that, yeah, she did, she did," Danny admitted. "We needed her to get cutesy with a suspect, and when she tried to arrest him, he shoved her off the dock."

"The guy liked fishing and pretty girls," Steve admitted, "and not always in that order."

"And Millie got his attention," Drew guessed. There were a few nods. "How loudly was she swearing?"

"Considering her shoulders were already sunburnt, pretty loud," Chin admitted.

"Danny made the mistake of touching her shoulders and he got a foot and elbow as a reward," Kono said, grinning.

"Not smart, my man, not smart at all," Drew said, shaking his head. "Millie has a long memory. She may not get you today or tomorrow, but trust me, she will get you. When she left for Honolulu, I put spring-loaded rubber snakes in her luggage, which got opened by airport security when something hinky showed up on the x-rays."

"That would not have made her popular," Chin guessed, grinning.

"Very much no," Drew admitted. "Scared both her and the security officer who opened the suitcase. She paid me back two years ago, when she came home for my wedding, by putting a ghost in my shower and setting my alarm clock to go off two hours early on my wedding day."

"Oh now that is just nasty," said Danny, grinning, while the others laughed.

Then Steve got a call; Millie was on her way up.

"_Well I hate to see this evening end_

_God only knows when I'll see you again_

_Just send a fax or send me a letter or give me a call that would even be better_

_Give the kids a kiss for me and say hello to the family_

_And tell them all my future's lookin' bright_

_Well, I miss 'em but I'm doin' alright_

_I said I miss 'em but I'm doin' alright."_

Millie was moving to the beat of the music and waved at Steve as she passed his office. He waved back, acting as if nothing was about to happen.

She went to her office, opened the door, saw the werewolf out of the corner of her eye, and screamed, running back out of her office in terror. She stopped near the computer table, her brain finally kicking in. Then she started laughing.

There was only one other person she knew who was as tall as Steve and well-built, not to mention being stupid enough to try and scare her.

"You miserable son of a bitch!" she said, laughing, watching as Drew took off his mask, grinning at her. "You could have told me when you were coming in!" The other team members joined them, smiling or grinning at their antics.

"Nah, no fun in that," Drew said, giving her a hug and lifting her up off her feet, causing her to shriek.

"Put me down, you bonehead!" she helped, trying to hit him. He did so. "What on earth have you been doing to put on so much muscle like that?" she asked.

"It's birthing season. Helping the cows give birth isn't as easy as it looks, especially when you have to pull. Best workout I ever got without even going to the gym," Drew said. He flexed his arms, showing off his muscles.

Millie jumped up and grabbed on to his upper arm, trying to pull it down.

"What are you trying to do?" he asked, grinning at her efforts.

"Trying to see if your muscles are as big as your mouth!" she grunted. "Kono! Give me a hand here!"

Laughing, Kono joined in by trying to grab his other arm, but he just lifted her up off her feet.

"You two done yet?" he asked, an amused grin on his face.

"I am now," Millie huffed. "Where are you staying and for how long?"

"I'm at the Hinton. I head back on Friday, so you get my company for three days, except when I do this fancy-schmancy speech at the Hinton vet conference," Drew said.

"You're not staying at the Hinton," Millie said. She went into her office and got her keys, which she tossed at her brother. "My truck is in the parking lot and easy to spot. The guys call it a regular rattle-trap and I think there's a dent in the ceiling from when Danny had the hell scared out of him after the truck backfired."

"Are the seats comfortable?" Drew asked.

"I don't know. Danny, is the seat comfortable?" Millie asked.

"Very comfortable," Danny assured. Then he muttered to Chin, "They're also spring-loaded. That dent in the ceiling wasn't just from getting startled, it was also from the bouncing I did on that back road earlier this week."

Chin snickered.

"There's a GPS unit in the truck and home is programmed in to it; shouldn't be too hard to find. Pick me up around five; I've got some paperwork to take care of if these guys want to put the bad guys in jail in a timely fashion. Introduce yourself to Lunkhead, but be careful," Millie instructed Drew.

"Is he neutered?" Drew asked.

"I tried to, but the last time I took him in, he put six stitches in the vet tech, and that came out of my pocket," Millie admitted sheepishly.

"When was that?" Steve asked.

"Just before our beloved governor offered me a job working for you guys," Millie said. "Figured the pay-raise might help with any future vet costs the mangy furball is going to incur for me."

Drew smiled evilly and rubbed his hands together. "Here kitty, kitty, kitty..."

Just after five-thirty, Drew reappeared, bearing coffee and chocolate-dipped pineapple from _Edible Arrangements_. Millie snitched one of the treats before tearing off towards the archives, promising to be back as fast as possible.

Lou was gone for the day, having promised to do a barbeque for his family that night. Chin and Kono were chasing down a possible lead on a suspect, and Danny didn't have to pick up Grace until after six that day.

"What was she like as a kid?" Danny asked. The three men were seated in Steve's office, knocking back a beer. "We know she got into trouble at fifteen, that she has two older brothers, one of whom is a scum-sucking lawyer, and she's very fond of you and your family."

"We know she can maintain her truck and fish because of you guys," Steve said.

Drew chuckled. "Very valuable skills." He thought for a moment. "When Millie first came to us, she was going by Wilma, which she hated. It was Sean who gave her the name Millie, which started out as her nickname. She was afraid to say anything, do anything, that might get her in to more trouble than what she was already. Her self-esteem wasn't just low, it was practically dead and buried. She had short hair at the time, and wore hand-me-downs, mostly to stop her mom, Janice, from complaining about how much it cost to take care of her. She was even scrawny from not eating too much for most of her life. Two guesses why."

"Bitch," Danny muttered.

"We knew she'd attacked Stephanie Rodgers, and why; Dad told us and we knew who Stephanie and her little clique were, which was trouble with a capital T. Word around the school was a lot of Stephanie's victims were yelling that payback was a bitch, and Millie had made Stephanie her bitch. Dad asked us if we were willing to take a chance with Millie, told us what had happened, even though we already knew most of the story. Mom was willing, especially after meeting her in person, and after meeting her in court, Sean and I agreed to," Drew said. "It took her about a month to feel safe around us, but when she finally did, she becomes this sweet, funny girl we were glad to call our sister, and when she turned eighteen, she adopted us as her legal family, cutting off all times with the Bryant family."

"What about her grandmother?" Steve asked.

Drew smiled. "She loved Gram, and Gram loved her. She visited Gram at least once a week, and then more often when Gram fading, until she passed on. I once overheard Gram telling Mom that Janice may have been her daughter, but she and her two sons were some of the sorriest excuses for human beings she'd ever known. All Millie ever wanted was to be loved."

"Sounds like she is now," Danny said.

"Oh she is, make no mistake about that. I'll even let you guys in on a little secret."

"A secret about Millie?" Danny asked. "Always welcome."

"For all the gruff and grief she gives you, she really does care about you guys," Drew said. "She might threaten to castrate you without anesthesia, but it's all bluster, no bite. Besides, the louder she yells, the more she cares. She did it to Sean about a month before she came here. He was stabbed while trying to stop a fight between his buddies and another guy. You could hear her yelling through the whole ER."

Danny and Steve glanced at each other.

"Ear plugs?" Danny asked.

"Yeah. We'll stock up on them," Steve agreed.

"Better let Kono, Chin, and Lou know," said Danny. "I, for one, do not feel like being deaf any time soon."

"Thought you were going to be last week, after she went after you over that report," Steve replied.

"That was a minor, itty bitty issue! I'm not gonna write straight at one in the morning, especially after we'd just been shot at!"

"Did you try telling her that?" Steve asked.

"I did, and she said something about needing her code book again, whatever that means!"

"That I can answer; it's a notebook she keeps with samples of your guys' handwriting, and the translation," Drew said, grinning. "That way she doesn't have to constantly chase one of you down and get whatever it is you wrote, unscramble, especially when she's trying to prepare court or requisition documents."

There was silence and then Steve started chuckling, especially when he saw Danny's face.

"I don't know whether to be impressed or insulted," Danny finally said.

"Word of warning, though," Drew said, going serious. "Yes, Millie yells because she cares, so don't fear her when she does. When she gets quiet, like deadly quiet, that's when you need to start running, because that's when she's going to kill someone, and the results are never pretty. I've only heard of her doing it once and Dad said he had to check under the chairs afterwards, to see if he could find the woman's tits and any other body parts that Millie might have cut off."

"What caused it?" Steve asked.

"She was still with Portland PD at the time, and the woman the boys had just brought in, she had just confessed to selling her child for crack," Drew admitted. "And the worst part was, the woman didn't really care; she just wanted her next fix. Her child was just a toddler, a little girl, and had just been put in the hands of a sexual child predator." He sighed heavily. "This particular predator was known, and somebody was watching, because they got a tip, telling them where to find the little girl. Dad got to her before the animal could do any real serious harm. Upshot of it was, the woman lost her freedom, her drugs, and her child, all in one night."

"Serves her right," Danny said.

"And that was the most dangerous Millie had ever been," Drew said. "She was the one that questioned the woman about whom she had sold her daughter to. Dad said no one dared to interfere, because she was going to kill, and they didn't want to be in her line of fire. When she got home that night, Dad gave her her first drink; she was nineteen. He said if anyone deserved it, it was her."

There was a knock on Steve's door, and Millie stuck her head in. "Glad to see you boys are having fun. I'm ready when you are, Drew."

"I'm good," Drew replied, stretching his legs. "Oh, by the way, Lunkhead is not going to be a happy kitty tomorrow."

"Uh-oh," said Millie.

"It turns out one of the vets at the conference is a surgeon, and he needs an un-neutered male cat, preferably large and difficult, for a demonstration on the latest neutering techniques," Drew said. "Guess who just got volunteered? After midnight tonight, Lunkhead is cut off of anything to eat, and can only have water, until about eight tomorrow morning."

Millie groaned. "That cat is going to make my life hell for the next month."

"Might want to check to see what your health insurance covers," Danny suggested. "If he's as bad as you say, you may be paying for someone's stitches again. I just hope they're not yours."

"You could always help me get him in to the kitty carrier," Millie offered.

"Thank you, no. I promised to take Grace swimming this weekend," Danny said. "I don't feel like doing that with plastic wrapped around my hands and arms and anything else that cat can reach. I lose enough flesh just hanging around him," he continued, jerking his thumb at Steve, who glared at him.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

"As you can see, this charming fellow's been in and out for everything from B and E to small store robberies, all the way up to vehicle theft," Millie said. She and the team were gathered around the computer table and discussing one of their cases. "When I checked his list of known associates, I found this handsome fellow. He was paroled two weeks ago."

Millie threw up a mug shot of an inmate with the name of Fredrick "Freddy" Blackstone.

"What's with the scars?" Chin asked. "Looks like someone clawed him pretty good."

"That's lupus," Millie explained. "It's an autoimmune disease that causes the body's immune system to attack healthy tissue. Symptoms of lupus include achy joints, swelling of the hands and feet, fever, fatigue, skin lesions like what you see here, and a whole slew of other nasty and painful things. Current research says it's caused by genetic and environmental stimuli. There is treatment available, but there's no cure. According to Freddy's file, he's got a mild case, but he still needs to take certain medications to keep it under control."

"Please tell me you didn't get into his medical file," Danny said.

"I'm not that good, and besides, I didn't have to," Millie shot back. "All I had to do was research lupus and make a few phone calls, one of which was to his parole officer, by the way. Our boy should be taking one of several types of medication; corticosteroids, immunosuppressive drugs, NSAIDs, and antimalarial drugs."

"Why antimalarial drugs?" Kono asked.

"Funny enough, antimalarial drugs have proven to be effective in preventing flare-ups and treating symptoms of the disease, even though there is no known connection between malaria and lupus," Millie explained. She brought up a list of antimalarial drug names. "These are the most readily available ones, including ones Freddy is known for taking, based on what his parole officer kindly told me." She flashed a naughty grin. "Seems he's not above a little harmless bribery."

"How much?" Steve asked.

"A hundred bucks from _Edible Arrangements_," Millie admitted, scratching her lip. "I got him talking and it seemed he felt over-worked and under-appreciated."

"Not anymore!" Lou said.

"Is that what we have to do when we need to bribe you?" Steve asked, grinning at her, enjoying the way a blush crept across her face and neck.

"I'm not above it, especially if it's chocolate-dipped pineapple, pineapple in a sherbet, or even dried pineapple," she confessed, rubbing her ear, causing her crystal earring to flash.

Then her cellphone rang; it was Drew. She placed her cellphone on the computer table and on speaker.

"Hey Big Brother, what's up? And how's my cat?" Millie asked.

"_Physically, he's fine_," Drew said. "_He came through his surgery and demonstration with no problem, after you gave him his nighty-night juice_." Millie cringed at the memory. "_But we have a new problem and we need your advice_."

"I'm listening, and be warned; you're on speaker. Five-0 is listening," Millie said.

"_Good to know, and you are all probably going to think this is hilarious_," Drew said.

"If it involves Lunkhead, we usually do," Steve admitted. "Especially when he goes after one of Millie's dates."

"He didn't go after you when you decided to kidnap me that morning!" Millie shot back.

"I'm a likeable guy; what can I say?" Steve said, electing a round of snorts and giggles from the team. "Plus, bribing him with fresh aku didn't hurt."

"Of course. That always works," Chin said, nodding sagely and grinning broadly.

"_Aku?_" Drew asked.

"Aku is what Hawaiians call Skipjack tuna," Kono explained. "It can be fished around here."

"_I'll keep that in mind_," said Drew. "_Getting back on track here, Lunkhead is doing fine. As a matter of fact, he's proving to have quite the appetite_."

"Okay," said Millie, wondering what this was leading up to.

"_He likes garlic shrimp_," Drew admitted. "_A lot. And he's very demanding about it. Did you know garlic has the same effect on cats as it does humans?_" he asked, as if he was talking about the weather and not a farting feline.

"Oh. My. God. How bad?" Millie asked patiently, closing her eyes in resignation and putting her hands on her hips, dropping her head.

"_I've had a few people from the hotel asking me if I can smell a gas leak_," Drew admitted sheepishly. "_He's making rotten eggs smell like roses. Any suggestions? Preferably before we get kicked out of here?_"

Millie's face had gone blank, with her mouth falling open. The others were trying very hard not to laugh. Then:

"Serves you right, you dumbass! Use my cat for a demonstration, will you? Have his dignity shot and his nuts exposed to everyone and anyone? Then you feed him garlic, of all things, knowing he's a greedy, gluttonous, hell-raising, fatso of a former stray? Especially after I warned you about turning your back on your steak last night?!" Millie exploded. "If you want to know what to do about your goof-up, _boy_, then take him outside, pray real hard the wind is blowing away from the hotel, and get a gas mask for the time being, bonehead! Because somehow I don't think there's an air freshener small enough to shove up a cat's ass, and if you're not careful, you're going to find his claws in your ass, along with my foot!"

Millie stabbed the Off button on her phone. Then she bent over, put her folded arms and head on the computer table, and started laughing.

"Oh my god," she moaned, straightening up and wiping the tears of mirth from her eyes. "You dumb schmuck."

Everyone was laughing or giggling and it took a few minutes before they could stop laughing long enough to concentrate on work again.

Later that day, Lou invited everyone over to his home for a barbecue. Lunkhead, still with Drew but not farting as much, was still a bit loopy but was otherwise okay.

Lou's wife and daughters loved Lunkhead, and the feline lapped up the attention, despite being in a harness and on a leash. The same could not be said for the men. Lunkhead either ignored them, or glared at them, especially Drew, although there was one incident that Millie was sure was deliberate.

Lunkhead had been seated near the barbecue and, upon seeing Drew approaching, turned his tail and raised his bottom. Lou had eyed the feline with suspicion. Then, suddenly, there was a whooshing noise as the barbecue's flame level suddenly flared up, nearly singeing Drew's eyebrows and causing both men to jump, startled.

"Was that the cat or a coincidence?" Lou asked, eyes wide.

"I don't know," Drew admitted. "What I do know is certain stomach gases are flammable, and that cat is a walking bio-hazard. He could be used for making a dirty bomb, but we wouldn't die of radiation; we'd die of asphyxiation!"

Lunkhead tolerated Steve, just, by allowing chin scratches. As for Millie, Lunkhead was immediately wrapping his stoned self around her ankles, nearly tripping her up with his leash. Millie swore that was deliberate, and swore she was going to die of humiliation when her near-fall nearly landed her in Steve's lap.

"Sister, there are better ways to land a guy than landing in his lap!" Drew teased, watching as Steve set Millie down beside him, hands around her waist and a grin on his face.

"I don't know about that, _brother_; from what Cathy tells me, you landed in a pile of cow crap thirty seconds after you said 'hello' to her for the first time since you were seventeen!" Millie shot back, a furiously blush creeping through her face. "Talk about getting in shit, literally!" Her blush increased tenfold when her friends laughed.

"How did you know about that?" Drew asked.

"How do you think? It's never a good thing when your bride-to-be and your sister decide we like each other," Millie shot back.

"That would be an absolutely nightmare," Danny said. "Your wife and your mother getting along, that's one thing, but your wife and your sister? Expect your life to be over, especially when you piss off one of them."

"How well did your sister and Rachel get along, by the way?" Steve asked.

"That was my nightmare," Danny said. "My sister knew every dirty little secret about me, and by the time my wedding reception came along, so did Rachel. That was the longest dinner of my life."

Then Millie spotted something out of the corner of her eye. "Lou, that hot dog is about to- never mind."

"You crazy feline!" Lou yelled, chasing after Lunkhead, who had just stolen a hot dog from the barbecue and was disappearing under a deck chair.

"Don't try and get it back, Lou; you'll lose flesh," Millie said.

"Like me," said Drew, holding up his hand, where he had several nasty scratches. "I tried to take the shrimp away and he clawed me."

"That cat of yours is a maniac," Lou huffed.

"Welcome to my nightmare. I think you're gonna like it," Millie said. Then she glanced at Steve, who raised his beer, and saluted her for knowing the Alice Cooper song. Then she looked back at Lou and said, "_Not!_"


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Steve looked up when someone tapped on his door before opening it. It was Millie.

"What's up?" he asked, accepting the coffee she handed him, thinking she looked pretty today. Over the last several weeks, she had taken to wearing jeans in addition to her usual slacks, and today she was wearing a nice pair of boot-cut jeans with a pretty pink and white tropical print blouse.

"I need a favor," she said, a blush starting to creep through her face, as she perched on the edge of his desk, facing him.

"Okay."

"I got a notice from my charming landlord that they're going to be doing some extermination in and around my apartment within the next two days and I need to find a place to stay for about two or three nights," Millie said. "Unfortunately a lot of hotels and whatnot won't accept Lunkey and I don't like the idea of leaving him in a stuffy hotel room by himself, especially with housekeepers popping in unexpectedly."

"Can't say I blame you," said Steve, already seeing where this was going. "Would you like to crash on my couch for a few nights? Lunkhead would be welcome."

"Would you mind? I'll even make supper while I'm there," she offered. "Susan taught me a pineapple meatball recipe that would convert even Danny."

Steve smiled, already mentally drooling at the prospect. "Consider me bribed. When you're ready to come over, let me know, and I'll give you a hand with Lunkey. Stay as long as you need to."

Millie smiled at him gratefully. "It shouldn't be more than two, maybe, maybe, three nights. Thank you so much," she said. She leaned forward and quickly planted a Dopey kiss on his forehead, before dashing out of his office, a blush staining her face and ears, leaving him chuckling in amusement.

Two nights later, Millie was curled up on his couch, wearing bright pink camo pyjama pants and a white short-sleeve shirt with Garfield loudly proclaiming that if he wanted perky, get a coffeemaker. As promised, she had made pasta and pineapple meatballs with steamed vegetables, that made Steve swear she would easily convert Danny.

Lunkhead had not been amused about being unceremoniously stuffed in a cat carrier and had voiced his displeasure loudly during the entire trip. Then, upon arrival at Steve's home, he had vanished, popping up here and there as he explored his temporary home.

"What are you reading?" Steve asked, curious about his temporary roommate, even if it was someone he worked with on a daily basis.

Millie held up her book. "_A Haunted Journey Continues_, by Zander Barnett," he said, reading the title. "The name sounds familiar."

"He's the host of a paranormal show called _Ghost Hunters_. This is actually his second book," Millie explained. She reached down into her backpack and took out another hardcover book, handing it to him. This one was titled _'Walking With Spirits_'.

"What's special about him?" he asked, reading the inside flap of the book.

"Absolutely nothing. He's just an ordinary guy who is curious about the spirit world and has spent the last several years with the _Ghost Hunters_ show gathering some pretty compelling evidence of spirits and spiritual activity in a variety of haunted locations," she explained. "The thing, too, is he doesn't just go off half-cocked; before they even do a lockdown, they do their research. They talk to people, raid the library, the town archives, you name it. Then they do their lockdown, which always starts at dusk and goes until dawn."

"You sound pretty passionate about it," he commented, grinning in amusement, watching the blush creep through her face again. It matched her pyjamas, which were the cutest thing he'd ever seen, especially the shirt.

"I had my own experience with the paranormal, and I've always been curious," she admitted.

"Really? What happened?"

"Have you ever been on Pali Highway at night, especially the Nu'uanu Pali Tunnels?"

"I have, and it is seriously unnerving. I can see why it took seven years to build the tunnel. You know the stories?"

"I do, and I made it part of my sight-seeing plans when I first came to O'ahu," she confessed. "I took the ghost tour and went to the Nuʻuanu Valley State Wayside. It was beautiful but sad, especially when I found out about the battle and the skulls that were found at the base of a cliff. The problem was, there were a lot of people around during the day, so I did some checking and found a path through the area, the old, original Pali Highway, and went back at night, when there was a full moon."

"You're crazy."

"Certifiable. Anyway, one of the things I knew about ghost hunting was to keep a recorder, a camcorder, and a simple camera with me, besides my flashlight and good footwear."

"Where did you go?"

"Near the lookout. I was heading up the path when I started hearing things. Thought it was animals, so I ignored it. Then I got to the lookout. Have you ever heard a conch shell being blown?"

"Yeah, I have. It's a very distinct sound. Did you hear that?"

"That and the sound of drumming and chanting. But I swear I was alone."

"That must've been hard on the nerves."

"Oh my heart was just pounding away there, but I had the good sense to take out my recorder and start recording. I still have the recording from that, and it is seriously freaky. It's even on my camcorder, which I set up on a tripod. You can clearly hear the drumming and the conch shell blowing. I was there for about twenty, thirty minutes and I had the recorder and the camcorder going the whole time."

"Do you still have the recordings?"

"I do; tucked them in my online files so I could access them from anywhere. As soon as I can, I'll show you. From what I gathered, mostly from watching Ghost Hunters and reading Zander's books, the sounds would be classified as residual hauntings."

"I'd love to see what you have," Steve said, his curiosity piqued. He wondered if she'd be interested in the pictographs he once showed Danny, before getting his forearm shattered in a fall, while investigating a body on a cliff.

"The thing is, though, and this is the crazy part, but I heard a female voice speak to me. It was clear enough that I can remember exactly what was said," she continued.

"What did you hear?"

"_E komo mai, keiki_. I had to do some asking around and a lot of research, but I found out it translates to '_Welcome, child_'. I also felt something brush my forehead and smelled flowers."

Steve's brow furrowed. "An old Hawaiian tradition was the touching of foreheads during a greeting," he said.

"That's right. It was because of the legend of the three major Hawaiian gods; Kāne, Lono, and Kū. The three gods are said to have breathed life into man, which was made in the form of Kāne, who pulled away from the Po, which was an endless darkness, and brought light to push back the darkness."

He smiled at her. "You know the legends."

She nodded. "That's because when I get curious about something, I look into it like crazy. It was because of all the research I did that I decided to stay. The more I learned, the more fascinated I became. When I heard that voice, I felt safe and I felt welcome. What scared the hell out of me was what I saw."

"What did you see?"

"This big guy, just out of the corner of my eye, wearing nothing but a loincloth, with dark markings all along his arms and chest. He stared at me, I blinked, and he was gone." She shivered, rubbing her arms. "I got a serious case of the heebee-jeebies."

"Did you get out of there?"

"I was tempted to run for it, but not in that kind of darkness; I would have gotten hurt. Besides, from everything I've read and learned, that's the best time to gather evidence. Like I said, first chance I get, I'll show you the file. I would love to show it to the Ghost Hunter guys, but from what I was seeing of their tweets and Facebook posts, they're pretty busy right now; they're in the middle of a season."

Steve wondered just how hard it would be to get in touch with them; he could think of a few places worthy of a paranormal investigation.

Millie and Lunkhead stayed with Steve for three nights. During that time, he learned Millie was a fan of a show called _'The Science of Stupid_' and would watch the episodes on YouTube when she needed a good laugh, liked her popcorn buttered and salted, was tidy and cleaned as she went, especially when she was baking or cooking, and could curse without ever using the F-word. That was something he got an earful of on the second morning.

Steve bolted awake and scrambled for his gun while scrambling out of bed. He had been abruptly woken to the sound of yowling, screeching, barking, and high-pitched yelping, amid a thud and the sound of Millie swearing up a storm. Tearing downstairs, gun in hand, he was relieved to see that Millie was okay, just on the floor and trying to untangle herself from her blanket, swearing all the while.

"Miserable, low-life, crazy, boneheaded, stupid sonovabitch!"

When he hesitated to help her, she pointed at the door and snapped, "Go!"

He bolted out the back door, gun at the ready, looking around for the source of the noise. Millie joined him a second later, her favourite wooden baseball bat in hand and at the ready.

Then, barrelling out of the bushes, tail tucked between his legs and yelping in fear, a German Shepherd tore across the yard, with Lunkhead right behind him, screeching away. Both Steve and Millie stared in amazement as the dog crossed the border of Steve's property and kept on going. Lunkhead, however, stopped at the border, watched the dog run, and once he was satisfied his victim was gone, came over to the porch and sat down beside Millie, before proceeding to wash his face. Aside from a very fluffed up tail, he was acting as if nothing had just happened.

"You crazy bastard," Millie said to Lunkhead, chuckling. Then she glanced up at Steve, and a blush rushed through her face; he was wearing nothing but sleep pants. "Good way to start the day, huh? And all before our first cup of coffee."

"Well, I know I won't be having any more problems with that dog anymore," he said, putting the safety back on his gun, and grinning at her obvious discomfort. "Or any other creature that comes through while Lunkey's here. He's a great guard dog, sorry, cat."

To his amazement, Lunkhead started winding himself around Steve's legs, meowing and purring loudly. Steve stared at the cat in amazement, then at Millie, who sighed heavily.

"We haven't even had our first cup of coffee yet, you walking Hindenberg," she said to the cat, who began to do the same thing to her. "I am not feeding you until then, so stop with the Cute Kitty act, Mister Jack Black. It don't cut no ice with me." Ignoring the indignant cat, she headed inside, only to find her feet being tangled up by said cat.

She let out an involuntary shriek and twisted, trying to grab on to something, anything. She did; Steve.

"Ow," she moaned, rubbing her head a second later. She blinked, unsure of the weight on her chest and legs. Then...

_Oh. My. God_.

Steve's nose was less than two inches away from hers, he had his full weight on her, and he appeared to be just as surprised as she was.

He had really nice eyes, she thought, feeling a blush surge through her face. A nicely shaped mouth, too. She was suddenly jealous of all the girls who'd been able to kiss those lips.

"This is awkward," he said, grinning at her.

"You don't say," she growled. "I am going to skin that cat alive and we are going to have kitty shish-kabobs for supper tonight."

"Sounds good. By the way, I never realized you were interested in me quite like this," he teased, propping himself up on one elbow. "All you had to do was ask me out for dinner or coffee."

Millie smiled, despite a deepening blush and said softly, "Steve, I am very fond of you. Such as it is, I am giving you a warning. Think about where my knee is."

He glanced down, then back up at her. "You fight dirty."

"Not as often as I should, but I'm prepared to make an exception to the matter."

He chuckled, giving her a break, and lifted himself off of her. Then he stood up and gave her a hand up.

"Not a word of this to anyone, not if you value your skin," she said.

He mimed zipping his lips. Besides, if Danny or any of his other friends had seen that, they would probably tease him and Millie senseless. No, this was one incident best quietly tucked away.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

"Where's Millie? I want to see Millie! Please, I'll be good! I promise!" a man sobbed.

The voice caught Danny's attention and he looked around for the voice. It belonged to a giant of a man with the dusky skin and dark hair of a Hawaiian native. He was cuffed to a chair and had tears rolling down his face.

"What's with him?" Danny asked Duke.

"Don't know. The guys who brought him in said he ran and when they grabbed him, he fought. He's been acting like he's not all there and keeps asking for Radar, but the arresting officer doesn't know who Radar is and is refusing to go and get her, claiming his behaviour is an act," Duke said.

"Mind if I try?" Danny offered.

"Knock yourself out, but be warned; Lindsay, one of the arresting officers, doesn't think too highly of you guys. He's from the Mainland," Duke said.

"If you see them..."

"I'll stall," Duke promised.

Danny went over to the crying man, who stared at him fearfully, much like a child would. "Hi," he said gently, pulling up a chair. "I'm Detective Williams. I'm a friend of Millie's." He pulled up her contact picture on his cellphone and showed it to the man. "Is this Millie?"

The man nodded excitedly. "Yeah! Yeah! That's Millie! That's Millie! She said, she said she worked with policemen and that they call her Radar!"

"That's right; she does get called Radar," Danny said, beginning to realize that this was a grown man with the mental capacity of a young child.

"Do you know where she is? I lost my buddy and she always helps me find her. Millie always helps me find Abby," the man said, trying to wipe his eyes with his shoulder.

Danny took pity on him and snagged a tissue from the desk, wiping his face.

"I can call her for you," he offered. "What's your name, buddy?"

"Eric, sir, but Millie always calls me Elmo, 'cause I'm cuddly like him," he said, giggling.

Seeing Duke talking to an annoyed-looking officer, Danny quickly dialled Millie's number. She answered on the second ring.

"_Yeah, Danny?_"

"Hey. I've got a guy down here. He says his name is Eric, but you apparently call him Elmo. He's been arrested and keeps asking for you."

"_Oh hell! Where the hell is his handler?_" Millie yelped. "_Never mind; I'll be right there as fast as I can. Tell Elmo I'll be there as quickly as I can and you do not let him out of your sight! Pull Five-0 rank if you have to, but stay with him!_" Then she ended the call

Danny looked at Eric, who looked at him hopefully. "She's on her way, and she asked me to stay with you until she does."

"What about the policemen who hurt me?" Eric whimpered. "Millie said policemen aren't supposed to hurt us; they're supposed to protect us."

"Well, we try to protect you as much as we can, but sometimes we have to get a little rough, especially with the bad guys," Danny admitted, talking to Eric as if he were talking to his daughter at a younger age. "And sometimes it can be a little hard for us to tell who the good guy is and who the bad guy is, because if we get that wrong, a lot of people could get hurt."

"I don't want to hurt nobody. Nope, nope, nope, nope," said Eric, shaking his head. "Hurting people is bad, Millie says."

"And she's right," Danny said.

"Yup. Millie's right about lots of things," Eric said, giggling. Then he spotted something and yelled happily, "Millie! I knew you come! Detective Williams said you would! And you did! You did!"

Millie knelt down in front of him, breathing a little hard from her mad dash. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?" she asked, cupping his face and checking him over.

Again, Danny was reminded of a small child, but Eric was clearly a child in an adult body.

"The metal things on my wrists hurt, but I'm okay, really. Can they come off? Please, Millie, please? I'll be good, I promise, promise, promise," Eric begged.

Millie looked at the cuffs and swore in a low voice. "Danny!"

Danny gestured at Duke, who came over.

"I stalled for as long as I could, but Lindsay isn't happy," Duke said.

"Really? Newsflash; he's about to have bigger problems. Me. Uncuff him. Now," Millie snapped.

"Can you trust him to behave?" Duke asked. "He did put up a bit of a fight when he was arrested, and apparently he ran from Lindsay and Hawkins."

"I was scared," Eric whimpered. "I saw their guns an' I don't like guns. Nope, nope, nope, nope." He shook his head emphatically.

Millie moved Danny and Duke to one side and spoke in a fast, hushed voice. "Elmo has the mental capacity of a young child. In the three years I've known him, he has never, ever deliberately hurt anyone. He's a child in a man's body and those two dipwads probably scared him, badly. If I have to scream at their commanding officer, I will, but Elmo is getting released, now."

"I can turn him over to Five-0," Duke offered. "Cite extraordinary circumstances."

"Do it, but get the damn cuffs off him," Millie hissed.

"Move fast," Danny warned, seeing a very pissed off cop heading for them.

"What are you doing with my guy?" the cop demanded. He glared at Eric when he cowered in his chair. "Oh knock off the act, pal; I'm not buying it!"

"It's no act," Millie spat, putting herself between Eric and Officer Lindsay. "Eric has a severe diminished mental capacity, which is more than I can say for you! I don't know where the hell his friend is, but what I do know is that he is coming with me and you're not going to stop me."

"He's being charged with resisting arrest. He's going to be processed and put in a cage, where he belongs," Lindsay snarled.

"Try it, Officer," Duke shot back, joining Millie, having removed the two sets of cuffs from Eric. Danny stood in front of Eric, who cowered in his chair. "And not only will I over-ride your ass, I'll file a complaint with your commanding officer that'll put you on backroad patrol for the next year. This fellow is going with Five-0 and you are going to back off. Now."

"Let's go, buddy. We're going to take your upstairs, where Millie works. Would you like that?" Danny asked Eric, who nodded eagerly.

"What about Millie? Is she coming too?" Eric asked hopefully.

"I'll be right there, big guy, I promise. You go with Detective Williams," Millie soothed, smiling reassuringly at him. "He's my friend and that means he's your friend too. Stay close to him, okay?"

Eric nodded happily, and followed Danny closely.

"You Five-0's think you're so great, so above the rest of us poor dumb cops, that you can walk over us any time you think. We couldn't possibly know how to do our jobs. Oh wait, you're not even a real cop. You haven't earned that fancy badge of yours, unlike the rest of us," Lindsay snarled.

"You are out of line, Officer!" Duke snapped, getting between the cop and a flushing Millie.

"Maybe, but who are you to let this _secretary_ tell us what to do?" Lindsey shot back, sneering the word secretary.

By now the room had gone quiet, with everyone watching and listening. Millie gently tapped Duke on the arm, smiling reassuringly at him.

"May I?" she asked softly.

Steve was rushing down the stairs and across the room towards Millie, alerted to the problem by Danny, when he heard the tone of her voice. She had gone soft and quiet.

_Uh-oh_, Steve thought, coming closer.

"I freely admit I did not earn my badge the way you did, Officer Lindsay," Millie began quietly, once Duke had moved aside. "I freely admit I am an administrative assistant for Five-0 Taskforce, the position for which Governor Denning, himself, hired me for. As a lot of people know, I don't like guns, but did you know I keep one in my desk because I was asked to, especially if I'm asked to join the team in the field, which occasionally does happen? Did you know I've worked with cops for close to ten years? I've handled your files, seen your blood, sweat, and tears, heard your stories. When you lost one of your own, I cried with you, and when you celebrated a victory, I cheered for you."

"What's your point?" Lindsay snapped, aware that all eyes were on them.

"My point, Officer Lindsay, is very simple. I may not wear a uniform or carry a belt the way you do, but I think I've earned that fancy gold badge. It's my reward for putting up with your bullshit for the last ten years!" she hissed with gritted teeth. "As for Five-0, yeah, some of their methods can be a little off-the-wall, and I've had fun explaining a few things to the governor and the D.A. on occasion, but they have my loyalty, my support, and my friendship, which is more than you'll ever get from me." Then Millie got right in his face. "As for thinking we're so great and so above little ol' you, after the shit you and your partner just pulled on an innocent man, hell yeah; compared to you, I'm practically a freaking goddess, and I'm prettier too." She smiled widely at him, flashing her teeth, hearing the laughter from behind her. "Have fun explaining this to your commanding officer, especially after he gets my report, which he will get; trust me on that. I may not carry a gun the way you do, but even Commander McGarrett knows my pen can be just as lethal. As for him, you'd better hope you don't cross paths with him at a crime scene, or you may just find me recommending you for dumpster diving duty to him." She grabbed a pen and a scrap piece of paper from his desk, before scribbling something down. Then she slapped it on his chest. "Look this up, and have a nice day." And she spun smartly on her heel and strode away, heading for Steve.

He offered her his arm. "Ma'am."

She slid her arm through his. "Sir."

"Shall we depart this mortal plane, oh goddess?" he asked, grinning at her.

"I do believe we shall. I hear coffee calling my name, and it is a sweet song indeed," she replied, smiling back, feeling a blush coming to her face at his playful antics.

"Then coffee you shall have, goddess." And together they headed back to the Headquarters.

In Headquarters, Eric was waiting for them. When he saw Millie, he gave her a very enthusiastic hug, giggling.

"This is my friend, Commander Steve McGarrett. Steve, this Elmo, my buddy," Millie said, doing introductions.

"Hi Elmo. Welcome to Five-0," Steve said, smiling at the other man, who giggled and waved his hand shyly.

"Are you okay?" Millie asked Eric, checking his wrists. There were some red marks on his skin, and she wasn't happy about that.

"Yup, yup, yup! Danny and Kono, they checked me over real good, an' even helped me let Animal Control know Abby's lost again," Eric said happily.

"Good. Who is your buddy today?" Millie asked.

Eric scowled. "Ryan, but he doesn't like me or Abby. He yells at me an' Pete-Pete all the time. He's mean."

"I'm sorry to hear that, buddy. How about if I get ahold of Tammy, let her know what's going on, and get you home? You should be able to make it in time for lunch," Millie offered.

"Yay!"

Steve stepped up to the computer table and said, "Hey Elmo, want to see something cool?"

"Okay!"

Millie showed Steve the number and he dialled it from the table.

"_Tammy Yu here_," a voice said after two rings.

"Tammy!" Eric cried out happily.

"Hey, Tammy, it's Millie Thompson. I've got Elmo with me, over at Five-0 Headquarters," Millie said.

"_Oh my gosh! Is he okay? Where's Ryan?_"

"I'm okay, Tammy!" Eric said. "Millie's taking really good care of me, but I lost Abby again."

"_That's okay, buddy. We'll find her; I promise_," Tammy said.

"As for Ryan, I don't know where he is," Millie said. "He wasn't with him when Elmo came in. Animal Control has been called, and I'll be calling my contact at the SPCA to keep an eye out for Abby. With her microchip, they won't have any trouble identifying her. I'll bring Elmo home as soon as possible for lunch."

"_Oh, thank god. Millie, you're a wonder. Thank you so much! And I promise you, I will be having a word with Ryan as soon as I catch up to him!_" Tammy said.

"I have no doubt about that," Millie said, knowing Tammy's talk might actually lead to a firing. "See you in a bit."

"Bye, Tammy!" Eric called.

"_See you soon, buddy. You be good._"

In due course, Eric was given a ride back to his group home, and they made it just in time for lunch.

Ryan wasn't back yet, having gone chasing after Peter, or Pete-Pete as Eric called him, a twenty-something young man with Downs Syndrome who was best friends with Eric.

Millie explained what had happened and promised to file both a complaint and a report against the arresting officers. Before leaving Headquarters with Eric, Kono had quietly admitted they had taken pictures of the marks on Eric's wrists for Millie.

As for Ryan, he would be dealt with, Tammy promised.

Back at Headquarters, rejoined her friends with several containers of a variety of ice cream as a thank-you for their patience.

Understandably, they had questions.

"I know about Downs Syndrome, but Eric didn't look like that," Kono said, scooping up some of her strawberry marble ice cream. "What does he have or what happened to him?"

"He has a condition known as Prader-Willi Syndrome and, among other things, has an IQ somewhere between thirty-five and fifty," Millie explained. "He's basically a child in a man's body and he will stay that way until the day he dies. He will also have to be on a controlled diet all of his life; his body lacks the ability to tell when the stomach is full."

"So, he doesn't get a bellyache the way we do?" Chin asked.

Millie shook her head, popping another spoonful of rainbow sherbet in her mouth.

"How old is he?" Lou asked.

"Physically, he's thirty-five. Mentally, he's about seven. He knows basic numbers, letters, can follow simple directions, and he gives some of the best hugs ever," Millie explained. "He can take care of himself with a little help, and even has a job delivering papers. He has a small dog he calls Abby Cadabby, and he loves her to pieces. That was how I met him; he had her at the dog park with his handler, and I was there with Scooby. Since then, part of my paycheck goes towards paying for dog training lessons for him and Abby. Abby doesn't actually need lessons, but the classes help reinforce the lessons in Elmo, and it also helps his social skills."

Steve looked behind Millie, then ran his hand up her back.

"What are you doing?" Danny asked, puzzled by his friend's behaviour.

"Trying to see where her wings are," Steve said. He shrugged. "You must've left them upstairs with the other angels," he said to Millie, who promptly started blushing.

"I'm using that line on Melissa next time," Danny said, grinning at Millie's blush.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Steve's cellphone rang. He glanced at the call display; it was Millie.

He and Danny were on their way back from questioning a suspect in relation to the death of a prostitute, who had stolen a file from a government-contracted security company. Both men were already getting serious headaches from the whole thing. If Millie was calling on what should have been her day off, then it could be good news, or it could be bad news.

"Millie," Steve said, accepting the call.

"_Hi Steve. I know you guys are working on a case right now, and I'm really sorry to bother you, but I'm kind of in a jam, and I need help_," Millie said.

"What's wrong?" Danny asked.

Millie sighed heavily. "_I need a lift; my truck just got stolen_."

"What?" Danny yelped.

"Are you okay?" Steve asked, concerned.

"_Oh I'm fine; don't worry. I'm at the mall and I had the truck in a parking lot. I was gone for maybe an hour and when I came back, I found broken glass on the ground. Mall security thinks the truck was hot-wired, based on the age of the truck_," Millie explained. "_I've just finished filing a report and I've got to get in touch with my insurance company, which I'm not happy about. Anyway..._"

"Where are you?" Steve asked. She told them, and he said, "We'll be there in fifteen."

"_I owe you guys_," Millie said, before ending the call.

"How did I know that was going to happen to that truck of hers?" Danny said. "The thing is so old, an idiot could hot-wire it!"

"Maybe. The thing is though, yeah, the body is in lousy shape, but the engine is fine; even so, it wouldn't be worth very much on the black market, so it's kind of stupid to steal it," Steve pointed out.

"Scrap? Spare parts? Who knows? With Millie's luck, it'll be some teenager on a dare and she'll get the truck back in more pieces than what it already was," Danny replied.

"She's not going to be happy," Steve said. "That truck was one of the first big things she's ever really owned. She's very proud of it and she's had it since she moved to the island."

"Okay, I can understand that, but why that rust bucket?"

"She said she bought it off a local she made friends with and it was easier than trying to navigate the car dealerships. Besides, the truck has character."

"If you call very loud explosions at an intersection character," Danny shot back. "I'm surprised there isn't a hole in the roof from all the people and dogs jumping out of their skin over that!"

"Lou did admit to cracking his head pretty good the last time he rode with her," Steve admitted. "Seems the noise not only startled him, but also the dog they were taking to the SPCA. The poor dog already had a touchy stomach and when the truck did it's mini-explosion, Lou and Millie had to open the windows for about six miles. Lou said that was the closest he'd ever come to throwing up in a moving vehicle."

Danny laughed.

At the mall entrance, Millie was waiting for them. Seated on a bench, working on what looked like a Blizzard from Dairy Queen, Steve and Danny both did a double-take. It wasn't the fact that Dr. Mindy Shaw was with her, also dressed casually; it was the fact that Millie was actually wearing a dress and actually looked like a girl.

When Millie saw them, she waved at them and came over. Danny got out of the car to let Millie into the back seat.

"Wow," he said teasingly, "I don't believe it!"

"Believe what?" Mindy asked.

"Millie is actually a girl!" Danny said, grinning, getting back into the car.

Having just seated herself in the back seat, Millie looked at Mindy, who was peering through Danny's open window.

"Hit him," Mindy encouraged.

"Ow! What was that for?" Danny yelped, rubbing his shoulder. Then, "Ow! Again!"

"The first one was for the stupid comment and the second one was for not realizing what a stupid comment that stupid comment was!" Mindy said, having hit his other shoulder.

"Congratulations," Steve said. "You've just managed to piss off two women in five seconds. That must be a new record for you."

"Shut up," Danny said, rubbing his shoulders.

Millie just shook her head. "Catch you later, Mindy," she said to the medical examiner assistant.

"Same. Hope you get your truck back soon."

As Steve manoeuvred the car through traffic, he asked Millie, "Are you okay?"

"Pissed off about my truck, but I'm good," she replied. "I called my insurance company while I was waiting for you guys, and I was told to bring the police report in as soon as possible. Thanks for the pick up, by the way."

"No problem," said Danny.

"What are you two up to, anyway?" Millie asked.

"Questioning Jonathan Arnold about his involvement with Patricia Ryans," Steve said.

"The murdered prostitute?" Millie asked, trying to remember the details of the case.

"One and the same," Danny answered. "Guy was a jackass; refused to answer our questions without a lawyer, and since we don't have enough to bring him in on anything, we can't bring him in for anything."

"What's his connection to Patricia?" Millie asked.

"According to her calendar, she had a date with him the night she was murdered," Steve said.

"And you want to know if there was an actual date or if there was some paid hanky-panky going on," Millie guessed.

"Exactly, but Jonathan is claiming to be a happily married man who would never associate with a paid whore, his words," Danny said.

"Ouch," said Millie. "Could it have been someone using his identity?"

"We asked him that, but after the whore crack, he refused to say anything more, possibly because his wife suddenly appeared, and according what we were able to find out, she controls the money," Steve said.

"Oh I'll bet he loves that," Millie said. "If he gets caught putting his friend in the wrong pocket, he could find himself divorced and broke."

"In one," said Danny, "and that's a very interesting way of saying that."

Millie shrugged. "Ten years around cops and a lot around Gram; I picked up a few things." She licked her spoon. "So what next? Patricia had to pass that file on to someone, someone who had a lot to gain from that information being released."

"She also had to have the access codes to get the file in the first place, and from what we've been told, this girl didn't even finish high school," said Danny.

"You did, and I'll bet you can't do that kind of computer finagling," Millie shot back.

"He can't," Steve said sagely. "Took him forever to learn how to check his e-mails on his phone."

"Then I guess he'd be clueless with my iPod," Millie teased.

"I'll have you know I got Grace an iPod for her birthday! I did actually manage to figure that thing out!" Danny protested.

"Before or after you had to ask someone for help?" Millie shot back.

"After," said Steve, grinning, causing Mille to chortle.

Danny turned and glared at Millie. "That's the thanks I get for picking you up?"

Millie just grinned at him, mirth in her eyes. Then her cellphone beeped, signalling an incoming text message. Digging it out of her purse, she glanced at the message and started laughing. "Cathy's pregnant and she just had her first chance to hear the baby's heartbeat," she said.

"Congratulations," said Steve. "That means you're going to be an aunt."

"Possibly time three," Millie said, still giggling. "Cathy just told Drew that triplets tend to run in her family and the doctor thinks she may have heard more than one heartbeat."

"Oh my god," Danny groaned, while Steve started laughing. "Me thinks you're going to need to send the poor man a straitjacket."

Giggling, Millie sent the message and received a reply a minute later, to which she started laughing. "She says she had to get his assistants to help him off the floor; apparently he kneeled over."

"Oooh," said Steve, laughing, while Danny groaned again. Then Steve's cellphone rang; it was Chin. "Yeah, Chin? What do you got?"

"_I had a closer look at Patricia's phone records; she made a call to a place called_ Nightshade _about an hour before Max said she was murdered. The problem is, there's no way to tell who she spoke to,_" Chin said.

"Isn't Nightshade that swanky night club downtown?" Millie asked.

"_You know of it?_" Chin asked.

"Got taken there a time or two," Millie said, shrugging. "Pretty high class place; black dress and all that. One of my dates took me there when he was trying to show off."

"Yeah? How's your dating life going?" Danny asked.

"Like your handwriting; they both suck," Millie shot back.

Both Chin and Steve laughed.

"Any way we can find out who Patricia spoke to?" Danny asked, pointedly ignoring the jab.

"_Not unless you go there in person and start asking questions, and if that place is anything like the rest of our suspects, they'll be pretty tight-lipped around cops,_" Chin said.

An idea came to Steve and he glanced in the rear view mirror. "Guess what, Millie? We're going on a date."

Millie groaned, and pushed her palm against her temple, wincing.

"Oh come on! It won't be that bad!" Steve yelped indignantly, seeing her expression in the rear-view mirror.

"Not that!" Millie shot back, still rubbing her temple. "Brain freeze! Whoo!"

It took about three hours and some serious help from Kono to help get Millie ready for her date. The plan was for Millie to go with Steve, but she was to be the focus of the attention, while Steve asked questions. Danny and Kono would provide back-up and moral support, while Chin and Lou chased down another lead.

Groaning softly, Millie tried to tug down the dress a bit further. She was back at Headquarters with Kono, in the women's washroom. She was wearing a hot pink basic stretch mini dress that had adjustable spaghetti straps and hugged all of her curves. Kono had taken her to a cousin who had done her hair up in a sexy French twist and taught her how to wear smoky eye shadow. Black sling back heels with a five inch heel, a black clutch with a silver chain, and crystal chandelier earrings completed the look.

"I feel like an idiot," Millie mumbled.

"You look great," Kono promised. "Have you ever done this before?"

"Not to this level," Millie admitted. "I've gotten pretty before, for a date, but not like this, which is probably why my dating life is lousy. Besides, honestly, I really don't know how to do it without looking like a hooker."

Kono smiled. "I'll help you," she promised.

"Yeah? Then help me with this; convince the guys not to tease me too much about this, especially Danny," Millie said. "I'm already feeling self-conscious as it is."

Kono nodded. "I can do that, as long as you remember something."

"What's that?"

"Don't just wear the dress; be the dress. You are sexy. You are bold. You are woman, and you know what you want, and if others don't like it, they can kiss your ass," Kono coached.

"And I have a gun in my purse," Millie said, giggling.

"That too," Kono said, grinning. She left the washroom to rejoin her teammates.

"Is she ready?" Steve asked Kono. He had elected to wear a white dress shirt with the neck open, and a black suit jacket and slacks. His gun was tucked behind his back, under the jacket, along with his badge. Both he and Millie would be set up with earwigs for the operation.

"She's ready, but she's nervous," Kono said. "She knows how pretty herself up for a date, but not to the whole take-me-against-the-wall level. So I'm asking you guys to be nice, please."

"We'll be nice," Chin promised.

"Where is she?" Danny asked.

"Right here," said Millie, walking towards them. She was holding her head high, shoulders back, and when she saw Steve, she smiled slowly.

Kono swore she heard multiple thuds as she watched the guys mouths fall open. Her grin got wider as Millie walked over to Steve, ran her dark red fingernail along his jacket collar and said softly, "Let me get my gun from my office, and I'll be right with you."

"I think your Ruger might be a bit big for your purse," Steve said, eyes a bit wide.

Millie smiled sensually. "I have another one; a nice little black SIG P938 that uses six nine mill rounds. A little expensive for my tastes, but then again, some things in life are worth it, wouldn't you say?" And, after tapping his nose affectionately, she sauntered towards her office, leaving the men staring after her.

"That's Millie, right?" Lou asked.

"That's Millie," Chin said, "I think."

"We are not going to have any problems keeping eyes on her at the club," Danny said, "In fact, the problem is going to be convincing someone to _not_ look at her when we need them to!"

Kono saw the way Steve's eyes were following Millie, the way he'd once looked at Catherine, his old girlfriend, and she felt like cheering.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Steve was having trouble keeping his eyes off Millie and on the road. He knew she was pretty, and always thought she was cute, but right now she was flat-out sexy. She was radiating nervousness, as evident by the quick, shy smile she gave him when she caught him looking at her.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Nervous. I've never played this game before and I don't know the rules," she admitted.

"Stay close to me, take your cues from me, and Kono and Danny will be listening in and will come running if we need back-up," he assured her.

"Okay. Should we order a drink when we get there? It would look kind of odd if we didn't," she said.

"We will, but keep it to a minimum. Is there anything you like to drink?"

"I prefer a rum and coke, but somehow I don't think that's going to cut it there," she admitted.

"It won't. Have you ever tried a Cosmo?"

"No. What does it use?"

"I think it uses vodka and cranberry juice."

"Yuck. Got anything fancy that uses rum?"

"Guys?" Steve asked over the com set.

"_You might like a piña colada_," Kono offered. "_It's basically rum with pineapple and coconut juice. There's also something called a Fuzzy Charlie, if the bartender knows what that is_."

"_Or you could always stick to a simple rum and soda_," Danny suggested.

"I'll try the Fuzzy Charlie next time, but keep it to a rum and soda for now. I want to help, not get drunk," Millie replied.

"Have you ever been drunk?" Steve asked.

"Tipsy, yes. Drunk, no. It seems when I get tipsy, I get giggly, so I'm very reluctant to get drunk, because I really don't want to find out what would happen if I did get drunk," Millie admitted. "Probably embarrass the hell out of myself."

They pulled up to the club and the valet took the car. Steve watched as a slight change came over Millie, who unfolded herself sensually from the car and accepted his hand. He also noticed the bouncer watching her and smirked mentally. Yup, the girl had game.

As they headed inside, with Steve's arm around Millie's waist, the bouncer nodded and let them past.

"We've got the cameras," Kono said.

"This place is going to make seeing things a nightmare," Millie mumbled.

"Thought you said you'd been here before," Steve said.

"Been here yes, liked it, no. I'm not much of a social butterfly," she admitted. "I also like being able to hear the person I'm with."

Steve smirked and leaned closer, guiding her to a table that let him keep an eye on the bar and their general surroundings. "This is the point. Do you dance?"

Millie stared at him in horror. "You're kidding me, right?"

"I've seen you move pretty good."

"What I do in private and what I do in public are two very different things, brah!"

"Then pretend, for both our sakes, or nobody is going to talk to us," he coaxed, gesturing at a waitress, who came over.

"Welcome to Nightshade. What can I get you tonight?" the waitress asked.

"Vodka on the rocks, please. You, darling?" Steve asked.

"Rum and soda, please," Millie replied, trying to hide her shaking hands.

"Sounds good. I'll be right back with your drinks," the waitress said, nodding, and walking away.

"_Hey boss, we've been running names and we've got a few hits_," Kono said.

"Go ahead," Steve said, putting his arm around Millie's shoulder, who slid closer and leaned her head against his, trying to ignore the heat rushing through her, especially when he started running his fingers up and down her arm.

"_One of the bouncers has a history of assault, especially against women_," Kono said.

"Cute," Millie said. "Name?"

"_Milos Stiller_," Kono said.

"_Look for a guy over six feet, built like a line-backer, with black hair_," Danny said.

"Which fits the description of half the bouncers here," Steve shot back.

"We could ask the waitress," Millie suggested. "I'm very good at making friends."

The waitress came back with their drinks, and Steve paid her with a tip. Then he flashed the waitress his cellphone, showing her a picture of Patricia when she was alive.

"You ever seen her before? A mutual friend suggested she would be up for a good time," he said.

"Seen her around a time or two, but not recently," the waitress said.

"Do you know who she might have come in with, maybe might be friends with here? We would love to have her join us," Millie said, offering a seductive smile. "Thought we caught the name Milos?"

"Milos is one of our bouncers, but I don't think he's due in for another hour. I could let him know you want to talk to him when he comes in," the waitress offered.

"Do so, and you'll get another tip," Millie said, running her tongue across her lips the way she'd seen some actresses done in the movies.

_Yikes_, Steve thought, taking a mouthful of his drink.

"_So you guys have to kill time for an hour,_" said Danny. "_That's going to be fun_."

"Floor," Steve said, watching Millie down nearly half her drink. He ignored her groan of protestation, but she followed him on to the floor. Fortunately it was a fast-beat song that was playing and she was able to reasonably keep up with him, heeding his advice about how to move and where to place her hands and arms. In her heels, she came up to his shoulder, and Steve thought she fit very nicely against him.

"I am never wearing these damn things again," she hissed at one point, trying not to stumble against him.

"Would it help if I said you look good in them?" he asked, grinning at her.

"I know I look good; they still hurt," she shot back.

"_De agony of de feet,_" Kono teased.

"And a few other things," Millie said. As they danced, Steve had his hands on her in ways she'd only dreamed of late at night, and she was fighting the urge to take things to a more personal level. He was her boss, and the last time she'd tangled with a cop was the last time.

_But he's not a cop; he's a SEAL,_ a little voice in her head reminded her.

It felt like they were playing a very sensual game, but it wasn't a game. Wasn't it? Especially since Millie wasn't so sure Steve wasn't playing, not with the way he kept looking at her, touching her, or with the heat that was building in her.

Steve had a problem, and her name was Millie. Despite her initial hesitation and reluctance, she was proving to be a capable dancer. She had curves in all the right places and she was wearing some kind of perfume or body spray that made him think of hot nights and satin sheets.

He hadn't done this kind of sexual foreplay dance in some time, not since Catherine, and even then he couldn't remember doing this with her. But the problem was, this whole thing was supposed to be an act, an undercover thing. If so, why did it feel so good and so real?

After the second set, they headed back to their table, but Millie excused herself to use the Ladies Room.

"Map," she said.

"_Ladies Room on your left, staff area on your right_," said Danny.

"_Uh-oh_," said Kono. "_You need to head out the back door; it looks like one of the waitresses is having problems._"

"Steve?" Millie asked, heading for the staff room and the kitchen.

"_Right behind you_," Steve said.

"_Please, let me go!_" Millie heard a female voice whimpering.

Not again, she thought, flashing back to high school. Sure enough, right behind one of the garbage bins, was a large man in a cheap suit, groping a frightened waitress, who had tears rolling down her face.

"Let her go," Millie said, putting her hand in her purse for her gun.

"Buzz off," the man said, reeking of alcohol.

Then Steve was there. "Seriously?" he asked Millie, who shrugged. He tapped the man's shoulder. The man turned to swear at him and Steve introduced his fist to his face. The man went down without a sound. "Come and get him, guys," Steve said. "Did we get that on video?"

"_Nice and clearly_," Kono said. "_Danny's on his way and we'll have him booked and charged_."

"Good," Steve said. He glanced at Millie, who was comforting the sobbing waitress.

"I'm Millie, and this is Steve. Are you okay?" Millie asked.

The waitress nodded, trying to fix her uniform. "He must've been waiting for me for when I got my smoke," she said. "Thank you so much."

"He'll be booked and charged, and if you talk to HPD, you can add your own charges," Steve said. He took out his badge and showed it to her. "Five-0 Taskforce. We're trying to figure out who might have made a phone call to this girl," he said, showing her Patricia's picture.

"I recognize her," the waitress, who's tag read Sasha, watching as Danny cuffed the unconscious would-be rapist. "When did the call come in?"

"About ten last night," Steve said.

"I think Milos took the call; he's one of our bouncers and he makes my skin crawl," Sasha said.

"We're looking for him; he has a record of assault against women," Millie admitted. "Do you know if she was seen with anyone else? Maybe talked to someone else here?"

"What happened to her?" Sasha asked.

"She was murdered, and she may have gotten her hands on a very important file she had no business getting her hands on," Millie said. "Show him the shmuck who's the head of the company," she said to Steve, who did so.

"Yeah, yeah, I've seen him with her. He always leaves a nice big tip with the girls," Sasha said, studying Ric Landrex's photo.

"And the fact that Patricia's a prostitute?" Millie asked.

"Can't do anything about that," Sasha admitted. "We don't like them here, but as long as the drinks are paid and they don't do anything illegal on the premises, there's not much we can really do about it."

"But you've seen her with Milos?" Steve asked.

"Yeah, and I think he was the one that took that call, because I remember hearing him get called to the phone," Sasha said. "When he came back to the door, he looked pretty pissed."

Millie glanced at Steve, who looked at her. "Maybe pissed enough to kill," he said.

"_Speaking of which, our resident bad boy is on his way in_," said Kono.

Danny finally managed to get the cuffed man up off the ground. "You good?" he asked.

"We're good," Steve said.

"C'mon, you loser. Let's go, let's go," Danny said, prodding the man, who groaned. "You puke and you're cleaning it up."

"Think you can do an introduction?" Millie asked Sasha. Sasha nodded eagerly. "Introduce us as someone looking for Patricia and heard he was the guy to talk to, especially as we were looking to party with her later, the kind of partying that be well worth her time. Then you get the hell out of the area in case he decides to fight. Clear?"

"Clear, but I could ask Jason to help you. He's real sweet and he's studying entrance exams for the HPD," Sasha offered.

"Name?" Steve asked.

"Jason Kaspersky," Sasha said.

"_Running_," said Kono. A moment later, she said, "_He's good and clean_."

"Get him, and show him to our table," Steve said, heading back inside. He nuzzled Mille's neck, causing her to shiver and giggle, before flashing him a naughty look and biting her lip sensually.

It didn't take long for Milos to show up at their table, with Millie working on her second drink, a Fuzzy Charlie that the bartender did actually know how to make.

"More sugar than alcohol, but not bad," she said for Kono's benefit.

"I hear you're looking for me," said Milos.

"Actually, we're looking for Patricia, darling," said Millie, giving the bouncer a slow, sexual once-over. "But we were told you would know where to find her. We've heard that she can be quite a lot of fun, the kind of fun we're into."

"I know her, but I haven't seen her lately," Milos said.

An idea came to Millie. She slid out of her seat and approached Milos. "Although, if Darling doesn't mind, I wouldn't mind having a party with you," she said, running a finger along his shirt collar and smiling invitingly at him, before running her hand up his chest.

"Anything to make you happy, darling," Steve said, ignoring the whoop of laughter from Kono and Danny over the com.

"_Baby got game!_" Kono chortled.

"I have to work, ma'am," said Milos, trying not to stare at Millie's bust.

"You are, trust me, you are," she whispered in his ear. She named a price. "And that's just for one night. Wanna play?"

Milos gulped.

"_Five, four, three, two..._" Danny began.

"Meet me in the back; I'll make some excuse to my boss," Milos said.

In the end, Milos was down on the ground with Millie's heel perched dangerously close to his crotch.

She glanced at Steve and said, "If this is your version of a date, I'd like to see what your version of a hook-up is."

"Wouldn't you like to know?" he shot back, teasingly, causing her face to turn scarlet.

It took a little bit of work, but Danny and Steve managed to break Milos.

"I had a contact waiting for me for that specific file; it was worth a lot of money to this guy and I was going to give Patty a fair cut, but then she called me and demanded more money. Greedy bitch," Milos said.

"So you met up with her and beat her to death," Danny said. "Real smart."

"I didn't plan to, but the bitch wouldn't tell me where the file was. Thanks to her, I'm out five grand."

"That's not all you're out of," Steve said.

Chin and Lou's lead proved somewhat fruitful. "We spoke to Chris Pride, who is Ric Landrex's biggest competitor," Chin said. "He admitted to making Milos an offer, but Patricia came to him and asked for eight grand. Seems she even sweetened the deal with a little lap dance and promised more if he was willing to pay more."

"Did he?" Danny asked.

"Happily," said Lou. "Apparently that was the most action he'd gotten in months."

"So she got eight grand out of Chris Pride and tried to get more money out of Milos?" Kono asked. "Yikes. What was she going to do when Milos discovered she didn't have the file anymore?"

"With over ten grand, she could run like hell," Millie said. "Not hard to do around here, especially if you're trying to leave your past behind."

Later that night, Steve was still in his office, catching up on his paperwork.

"Hey," Millie said, coming into Steve's office.

"Hey. You did good tonight," he said, noting she wasn't wearing her shoes, not that he could blame her.

She smiled. "Thank you. Could I get a ride home? I don't trust the boneheads around here to start getting ideas and I really don't want to call for a cab."

He smiled. "Sure. Let me know when you're ready to go."

"Any time you are."

Steve glanced down at the paperwork he was dealing with and decided it could wait until the morning. "I am now."

"In that case, let me grab my shawl, shoes, and purse."

Her shawl turned out to be a lightweight black wool shawl, perfect for the cool evening air. Steve suspected it was also to stop half the HPD officers from staring at her as they made their way through the building.

The ride to Millie's apartment was in comfortable silence, but there was something on Steve's mind. That dance weighed heavily on him, leaving him wondering.

He pulled up to her apartment and before she could get out, he came around and lifted her out, then escorted her to her door.

"Something is happening between us," he said, leaning against her doorframe, watching as she unlocked her door.

She froze. It was a statement of fact, one Millie couldn't deny.

"I know. And it scares the hell out of me," she admitted, turning to look at him. "I don't know what to do."

"We could enjoy it, take it slowly, see what happens between us," he said, coming closer and watching her eyes go wide and her lips part. "I'm not in any hurry. We don't have to date, but we could enjoy each other's company, yet give ourselves the freedom to date others. That way, if we decide not to take things further, neither of us gets hurt, and our jobs aren't affected." Steve didn't particularly care for the idea of Millie dating someone else, but knew she was still a bit skittish around him, and wanted her to come to him when she was ready.

"I can do that. I know about Catherine, and I know how she hurt you, and what she did for a living, but I'm not her. I don't know how to fight or shoot like she does, I don't run, and I have no contacts in any of the armed forces or intelligence branches," she said after a moment, thinking fast. Maybe the whole dating someone else thing wasn't such a bad idea; that way if Steve decided he wasn't really in to her, it wouldn't hurt so much.

"I know, and maybe that's not such a bad thing," he said.

"How so?"

"Maybe we both have things we could teach each other. When was the last time you did something as simple as going hiking with someone?"

"Never, and I've been wanting to, especially with what I've seen of some of the parks and the waterfalls."

"Then come with me this weekend, and we'll go hiking together. Go off-grid for the day, maybe make it an overnight camping trip, just you and me."

"And if you're needed back here?"

"Unless it's an extreme emergency, we won't be," he assured her. "It won't be the first time one of us has done that."

"From what I heard, the last time one of you went off the grid, Danny got a knife in his gut."

Steve smiled. "You know why that happened, right?"

"Yeah, Melissa's very possessive, very dead ex-husband." She bit her lip but tried not to swallow when she saw his eyes zero in on her mouth. "Okay. Tell me what I need and when and where, and we'll go."

"I can do that." He reached up and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, liking the way her hair felt.

Then she surprised him by reaching up and kissing him on the cheek.

"Thanks for the date, even if it was a bit interesting. Next date, no guns, okay?"

"Agreed; next date, no guns." And as Millie went inside, he couldn't help but wish that kiss on the cheek was a little more down and to the left...


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

HPD found Millie's truck a day later, what was left of it. It seemed the truck had been part of a gang initiation and totaled beyond repair. Millie's insurance company representative took one look at the truck and declared it a write-off.

"I need to get a new vehicle," Millie groaned later that day to Steve. They had been finalizing their plans for the hiking trip when the call from HPD had come in. Steve had been the one to take her to the site of her truck.

"Your insurance company didn't exactly give you a lot to work with," Steve said, working his way through traffic, on the way back to Headquarters.

"Meh, I've got something tucked away," she said, shrugging. "I just hate dealing with car salesmen."  
"Never fun. You have anything in particular in mind? Maybe another truck?"

She shook her head. "I was thinking about something that could handle the back roads."

"A Jeep could do that," he suggested.

"If they make them in a four-door, I might consider it."

"I think they do," he said. They passed a red Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, and Steve pointed it out to her. Her eyes went a little wide.

"That looks pretty hardy," she said.

"Why don't we find out?"

"Okay. I'll make you a deal; you help me with the dealer, I'll let you test drive it to your heart's content."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously. Besides, with my luck, you'll wind up driving it on the back roads anyway."

"A woman after my own heart."

Millie laughed. "Just one thing."

"What's that?"

"Do you know anyone who does funerals for trucks?"

"Afraid not," he said, grinning at her.

Steve was grinning even wider an hour later, and Millie threw a glance at the salesman, Charles, in the backseat of the Jeep; his face looked a little green.

"What do you think?" she asked Steve, holding on to the bar above the glove compartment as he whipped the Jeep through another drifting turn on one of the local dirt roads. "Good enough for you?"

"More than. You got a colour preference?" he asked.

"Black; better for night-time stakeouts."

"Good idea. I know someone who can put emergency flashers in for you."

"That's not such a bad idea. What about a locator, in case something goes wrong or you need to track me?"

"That can be done easily enough, and it can be put where it won't be found very fast."

"I like." Millie glanced Charles. "I'm willing, if you are."

Steve glanced at Charles. "I think he's about to lose his lunch."

"Have pity on him. Take us back to the dealership and we'll talk," Millie said, grinning.

Steve glanced at Charles and just shook his head. "You don't seem fazed by this," he said to Millie.

"I've seen all the _Fast and Furious_ movies and I've always wanted to learn the drifting technique," she admitted. "I even watched the _Mythbusters _episode that covered drifting and the myth that drifting cuts down your time."

"Does it?"

"It depends on who's driving. If it's a non-pro, it does a bit, but if it's a pro, it actually adds to your time."

"Good to know. Have you seen the latest F and F movie, _Furious 7_?"

"Been wanting to, but haven't had the chance. Besides, I hate going to a movie by myself." She tossed him a sassy smile. "If there's a theatre still playing it, do you think I could tempt you?"

"Easily enough." In fact, he could think of some enjoyable things to do in a darkened movie theatre, and they all involved Millie's lips...

Back at the dealership, Charles took off running for the staff washroom.

"I think you scared him," Millie said.

"Darn. And he had such a nice tie."

"This is Hawaii; why the hell would he need a tie?"

"Ask Danny; took him about a year to stop wearing one, no matter what anyone said to him."

"Wow."

A woman in a nice skirt suit approached them. "Is Charles alright?" she asked. "What happened during the test drive?"

Both Millie and Steve shrugged. "Guess he couldn't handle Steve's driving," Millie said.

"That was mild, compared to what I could have done, and I wasn't even on city streets," Steve said.

The woman nodded. "I confess, Charles never did have much of a strong stomach."

"You?" Millie asked.

The woman grinned. "I do off-road racing in my spare time."

"We need to talk," said Millie, deciding she liked this woman over Charles.

Then Steve's cellphone rang; he had a call-out. "Remember Sean Carter?" he asked Millie.

"The guy you couldn't convict of killing his ex-girlfriend and boyfriend? He strike again?"

"He went flying out a tenth-floor window; seems he didn't bounce too good."

"Humans never do from that height. Max is in for a long autopsy. Have fun; I'll catch up to you later."

"Call me if you need a ride," he said, heading for his truck.

Millie smiled, then turned to the saleswoman. "Now, shall we talk? I'm very interested in the Jeep but I'm wondering, do you have it in black? And do you take cash?"

The saleswoman smiled.

"So Millie has to get a new vehicle?" Chin asked.

"The truck is trashed; her insurance company says it's a write-off," Steve said, studying the broken window from which Sean Carter was thrown from.

"Any idea what she's going to get?" Kono asked.

"Probably another truck like the one she had before," Danny said.

"Nope," Steve said.

"You know something," Lou said, seeing the smirk on Steve's face.

"I know this window isn't easy to break, which makes it a lousy way to commit suicide," Steve said, evading the question.

"If it was suicide," said Chin. "Witnesses are saying he didn't fight the fall, but Max is unable to determine if he was alive or dead when he fell; says he'll know more when he gets the vic on his table."

"Once he finishes scrapping him off the patio roof, that is," said Danny. "Those ones are always messy."

"Personal experience?" Lou asked.

"Fourteenth floor jumper, just before I left Jersey. Not fun," said Danny. "Too much booze and crack, and he decided he could fly."

"Oops, no wings," said Lou.

"I don't know about wings, but the victim was definitely accused of having horns and a tail," came Millie's voice as she joined them, iPad in hand. "There's a FaceBook page dedicated to him, and not in a nice way."

"How many people wanted him dead?" Steve asked, moving away from the window, seeing that Millie wasn't coming any closer.

"How many didn't?" Millie replied. "There's a number of threats against him, and a recent post from an unknown user stating he's dead and may he rot in Hell."

"Are you okay?" Danny asked, noticing Millie was keeping her eyes away from the floor-to-ceiling windows and was looking a bit pale.

"You have claustrophobia, right?" Millie asked.

"Reluctantly, yes," said Danny.

"I have acrophobia; fear of heights," Millie said, smiling tightly. "Those windows scare the crap out of me, so you'll have to excuse me if I didn't come any closer."

Steve took pity on her, and came and put his arm around her, turning her back to the windows. "Any chance we can identify the poster?"

"Fong might be able to, and FaceBook is known for complying with warrants for profile information," Millie said. "It's worth a try, but there's a reason cyber bullying is so rampant right now, and why stopping pricks like them are so hard." Wearing a lace-trimmed white camisole, Steve's arm across her fairly-bare shoulders felt good; she'd left her dark blue blazer in Steve's truck. "What's CSU saying?"

"So far, not a lot," Kono admitted. "They're not turning up fingerprints, just foot prints, and those are dicey at best. We might know more when we know how Carter was killed."

"This could be one of those ones that goes cold," Lou warned them.

"If it does, it does, but we still have to try," Steve said. "Where's your new toy?" he asked Millie.

She smirked. "I pick it up from the dealership in about an hour. Everything else has already been taken care of. Oh, and I'm calling it Blackbird."

Two days later Steve was on the phone with Governor Denning.

"No, sir, we have no leads on the case," Steve said. "All Dr. Bergman could determine was that the victim had been given a low dosage of a flunitrazepam, a roofie, beaten, and then thrown out the window."

"_Why a low dosage?_" Denning asked.

"We think it's because the attacker wanted Carter alive enough to feel the pain, but looped enough to be controlled," Steve said. "Throwing someone out a tenth-floor window is not the easiest of things to do."

"_Suspects?_"

"Too many to count. The building cameras showed no one suspicious going in or out, and the FaceBook post turned up nothing; the account was disabled shortly after the post was posted, and Fong says it came from a computer café, where there are hundreds of users on a daily basis," Steve said. "That café doesn't keep cameras on their patrons, citing privacy issues."

Denning groaned. "_CSU turned up anything?_"

"Nothing. They found a burned paint suit in the building incinerator, but it was painting day for several of the units, and the suit was one of several. Whoever killed Carter covered their tracks very, very well. The only blood CSU found in the apartment was Carters. Same with prints and any hairs. I'm sorry, sir, but we have nothing."

Denning sighed heavily. "_Well, I suppose that's the way that goes. How's Millie Thompson making out?_"

"Millie? She's great. We're glad to have her with us," Steve said. "She's becoming a real valuable member of the team."

"_Is she carrying a weapon when she's in the field?_"

"Reluctantly but yes. Surprisingly, she's actually a good shot, but so far she hasn't had to fire a shot at a suspect."

"_Good. I'd like to see her stick around for a while._"

"So would I, sir, so would I."

But a week later, Steve wasn't so sure Millie would stick around.

An officer had been killed during a routine traffic stop, and Millie volunteered to go with Steve while they made the notification to the officer's wife.

"You don't have to do this," he said as they drove along.

"Yes, I do. I once had the notification made to me, and I know how she's going to feel."

"What happened?"

She smiled at him sadly, and said, "That's a story for another time."

He nodded, accepting that for now. But then, his curiosity got the better of him when he overheard her mention someone named Hugh Webb, Portland PD, saying that he'd been killed in a similar situation and that it had nearly killed her when she'd found out.

When he got back, he ran the name through the table computer.

"Who is he?" Lou asked, joining him.

"Office Hugh Webb, Portland PD. He died during a routine traffic stop about seven years ago," Steve said. "I heard Millie mention his name, said it nearly killed her when she found out. Take a look at this."

He threw up a newspaper article. The article was about Webb's funeral, but it was the picture that got their attention. Seated beside an older woman, holding hands, was Millie in a black dress, with a blank look on her face. It was a look they had seen plenty of times; grief and shock.

"She must've been close to him to be at the front like that," said Chin, Kono standing beside him.

"Officer Hugh Webb was my boyfriend of over a year. The night he died, he was going to propose to me," Millie said coldly. Everyone turned around. "All you had to do was ask, and I would have told you, eventually. I am not one of your damn suspects, and it's time you remembered that. Until there comes a day when I am a suspect, you stay the _hell_ out of my private life!"

And with that, Millie spun on her heel and vanished into her office, leaving everyone staring at her. If she could have slammed her door, she would have.

"We screwed up," Lou said.

"Beyond," said Kono.

"Do you feel a cold draft?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, and it's a real chiller," said Chin.

Steve said nothing. They had screwed up with their curiosity, and he knew it. He just hoped Millie could forgive them, because he didn't want to lose her.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Steve missed Millie. The hiking trip they'd done the previous weekend, before things had blown up in his face, had been great. If it hadn't been for the sudden downpour, he would have suggested an over-nighter. A few times he could have sworn she was tempted to kiss him, and there had been a few times he'd been seriously tempted to give in, but he'd held off for now, wanting to see what would happen.

Then he'd gone poking through her life once too often, and she'd shredded the whole team, and rightfully so. It seemed the issue of Officer Hugh Webb was a private and sore subject for Millie, one best left alone until she was ready, whenever that might be.

She had been polite and cordial towards them, retreating back to the way she'd been when she'd first joined the team. However, she had gone home by six p.m. and had offered nothing beyond her usual duties.

She had accepted their apology but made it plain that Webb was a closed topic, and they would have to accept that.

The weekend was coming, and Steve really didn't want to spend that weekend without being able to talk or banter with Millie.

Friday evening, Millie left at her usual time. Steve followed soon after, stopping by his place to shower and change in to a nice dark blue suit and light blue dress shirt, one Millie had once commented he looked nice in. Then he stopped by a florist and picked up a dozen roses of different colors, and then some aku as a bribe for Lunkhead.

Millie's black Jeep was parked in its usual spot, in front of her apartment. When he knocked, she answered, no longer wearing her office clothes. Instead, wearing cotton shorts and a familiar pink twisted bandeau bikini top, she looked like she'd just gotten out of a shower.

"Steve," she said, leaning against the door.

_She smelled of raspberries_, he realized, liking it. He held up the flowers and offered her his most charming smile. "I was a jackass and I'm sorry. I miss your company."

He looked so good, Millie thought, her heart aching. And she had missed him too. Maybe now she was ready to talk about Hugh and her month of hell.

She accepted the flowers and allowed him to come inside. Lunkhead appeared and while she put the beautiful roses in a vase, Steve fed the cat.

"Thank you for the flowers; they're glorious," she said.

"You're welcome," he said.

She approached him and when he opened his arms, she wrapped her arms around him and laid her head on his chest with a sigh. "You're a jackass, but I've missed your company too."

"Forgiven?" he asked, relishing the way she felt in his arms.

"This time," she replied, but he could see the smile on her face. Then she looked up at him, and suddenly it wasn't just the apartment that was warm.

Millie wasn't quite sure how it happened, but she suddenly went from snuggling against Steve, to being on the counter, her legs around his hips, and kissing him like she couldn't get enough of him. Mind you, he seemed to be having the same problem, with the way he was running his hands through her hair and over her back.

He groaned softly, leaning his head against hers. "That was well worth the wait," he said huskily.

She smiled. "Yeah, it was. Could we do something, though?"

"Sure."

"Could we go out? The humidity is driving me nuts and I really don't want to stay here, at least not until it cools down a bit."

"We can do that," he said. "Any place in particular?"

"Some place that is a little fancy and serves drinks; I think I need one. Maybe someplace near the ocean."

"I might know a place. How fast can you get ready?" he asked, running his hand up her bare thigh.

"Ten minutes at the most."

He stepped back, abet reluctantly, and grinned at her. "Clock's ticking."

It was a blue embroidered halter dress she changed into, with colorful sandals, matching earrings, and light make-up. She didn't tell him that what she was wearing under the dress was even skimpier, due to the humidity; a little tie-dye floral lace v-string and a matching lace strapless bra. At Steve's encouragement, she left her hair down but held back with a sparking headwrap.

The place Steve took Millie to was an open-air restaurant called the Uliuli Moana, or Blue Ocean. He knew this place served alcoholic drinks and was within walking distance of the beach.

Once there, at a table for two, Millie ordered a rum and coke. Once she had it, she began talking.

"I met Hugh while I was still with the Portland PD. I had just turned twenty and he was a second-year rookie," she began. "About a month before, I'd had my heart broken by Tyler Walker, who had been after confidential information on certain cases, so I was a little leery of Hugh at first, especially when I found out he was an admitted womanizer. I didn't want to go through that kind of hurt again."

"That's understandable," Steve said.

"Yeah, but according to his training officer, Officer Ron Hoffman, Hugh took one look at me, and all the other girls disappeared. It took perseverance on Hugh's part, but I came around. It helped that he wasn't afraid of Mike and he gave as good as he got. We dated for about a year, and he was my first. Tyler didn't even get that far."

Steve nodded.

"The day he died, he had told me to get dressed up; that when he got off shift, we were going someplace special. Three hours into his shift, Ron pulled a guy over for a broken tail light and expired tags. Hugh had joined him and was checking the car to make sure there was nothing else wrong." Millie struggled to stop the tears but when Steve took her hand, the tears slid down anyway. "Ron said he heard Hugh yell, felt him slam into him, and then watched as Hugh was hit by a car traveling at over a hundred kilometers an hour in a sixty K speed zone. The driver, who was drunk, slammed into Hugh, then bounced off the guard rail. Hugh was dead when he hit the ground, but he saved Ron, who suffered a broken arm when flying debris hit him."

"I am so sorry," Steve said, meaning it.

"That wasn't the worst part; the worst part was Ron finding a little blue box in Hugh's locker, with a diamond solitaire ring. Hugh had been planning to ask me to marry him that night." She chuckled, wiping her eyes. "It was Mike who had to do my notification. I don't remember much after that. Hugh would be awarded the Medal of Valour posthumously, and there was a big whoo-ha over the whole thing because the driver had been an eighteen year-old girl drunk as they come. That picture you guys found in the paper? I was seated next to Maria, Hugh's mother. I remember the funeral but I don't remember the details. What I do remember is that when I got home from the funeral, I found a message waiting for me; Gram was gone."

"Oh jeez," Steve breathed. Two funerals in less than a month? Not fun.

"I had just buried my grandmother when Peter decided to be a bastard. Just after my arrest, Gram changed both her will and her life insurance policy. I was to inherit everything, and I mean everything; the house, her life insurance, her estate, everything. Peter, Janice, Sam, they got nothing. Peter tried to contest the will and the policy in court, but Gram had a lawyer who turned himself over to me, and he had made sure everything thing was ironclad tight. For the sheer pleasure of humiliating Peter in court, Sasha took him on pro bono. The judge threw the case so far out of court, it didn't even hit the steps on the way down."

"Nice."

"Once the house and the estate was sold and the insurance policy cleared, I walked away with close to a million. I threw all that money into a high-interest savings account and left for O'ahu two days after everything was finalized, barely touching it for the last few years, except to out-right buy Blackbird. That was my month of hell."

"And that's why you don't talk about Hugh or your grandmother," Steve said.

"It doesn't hurt as much, but it's one of those things. Officer Sheldon's death hit me pretty hard, and seeing Hugh's picture like that, it caught me off guard."

"I'm sorry about that," he said, kissing her fingers.

She smiled. "It's over and done with. I did my grieving for about a year, then woke up one morning and realized it was time to move on. I was sitting on the bench near the Pacific Theatre War Memorial, lost in my own thoughts, trying to say goodbye to Hugh and Gram, when this old guy sits down beside me. Said his name was John, and asked me who I'd lost. I told him, and he said he understood, but I would be okay, that I would learn to love again, when I was ready. It wasn't until I saw the picture of him in your home that I realized who he was; it was your father I had met." Millie chuckled at the expression of shock on Steve's face. "I realized I could hear him laughing in his grave." She reached over and stroked his face. "The past is in the past. I loved Hugh and I miss Gram, but I'm doing okay. What's done is done. Now, I'm going to have another drink because this humidity is driving me nuts, and if I get a little tipsy, then I'm trusting you."

He smiled. "Just don't do anything I wouldn't do," he teased.

"Steve, there are a lot of things you do that I wouldn't dare do," she shot back, catching the eye of a waitress and finishing off her drink. "I've got a hundred in cash in my purse, so that will cover my bill nicely."

"More than," he said, wondering what he was getting himself into.

An hour later, he knew. Millie had tried a Blue Hawaiian, and something called a Full Moon Fever, on top of her second rum and coke. By the time she finished her Blue Hawaiian, Steve knew she was certifiably tipsy.

"Did you have anything to eat before we came here?" he asked.

"Nope," she said, giggling. "I was going to, maybe, but the humidity makes wanting anything from the kitchen impossible. Besides, I like the heat you generated better." And she giggled again.

_Empty stomach_, he realized, mentally cringing. "I am taking you home," he said.

Millie somehow reached for her purse and pulled out two twenties. Steve used them to pay the bill, including for his coffee, before carefully escorting her to his truck. Every time she stumbled, she giggled.

"You are drunk," he said.

"Uh-huh," she said, draping her arms around his neck as he lifted her into his truck. "And you are the best-looking guy on the island."

"Glad you think so," he said, managing to extract himself from her arms and getting her buckled in.

When he got in, she was watching him. "I envy Catherine," she said.

"Why's that?"

"She was practically your equal. Me, I hate guns, I barely reach your shoulders, and I am just a little secretary with no amount of fancy-schmancy training."

"That doesn't matter to me," he said. "You have a heart; that's what matters."

When they got to his place, Millie suddenly saw the ocean. Kicking off her sandals, she ran towards the water and did something totally unexpected; she yanked off her dress and dove into the water, laughing and giggling.

Steve could only stare; after all, a v-string panty and strapless bra didn't exactly hide much.

"C'mon, Stevie! The water's great!" she called.

"I don't want to ruin my suit," he called back, resigning himself to sitting in the chair on the lawn until she either started having problems or decided to come out. Thankfully it didn't take long, and she stumbled out of the water, giggling.

"That was fun; I've been wanting to do that for years," she said, completely unaware of the fact that she was practically naked in front of Steve.

This was starting to cause a bit of a problem for him, especially below his belt. He decided to end this, and fast.

"Why don't we get you inside and in the shower? Maybe have some coffee?" he suggested, gently leading her into the house.

"No shower unless you join me," she said, stumbling and giggling.

"Maybe in the morning," he said, managing to get her wrapped in the towel he kept by the door for when he went swimming.

She giggled again, stumbling against him. Then she collapsed on the couch, sighing tiredly. She sighed again when he covered her with a throw.

"You really are a good man, Stevie," she said, letting him tuck the blanket around her. Then she suddenly rose up and, clutching his jacket lapels, kissed him hard.

Caught off-guard, Steve nearly fell against her and the couch before catching himself and she let him go.

"Catherine isn't here, but I am, and I like you lots and lots and lots," Millie said. She sighed and laid down on the couch, smiling at him.

"Get some sleep," he said, tucking the blanket around her.

"G'night, Stevie," she whispered, eyes drifting shut.

_You're a beautiful woman, Nani,_ Steve thought, _but your hangover is going to be a bitch._

The next morning Steve came in to the living room, dressed and carrying his robe for Millie, he started grinning. Millie had her head buried under the blanket, leaving a very nice leg exposed.

He tapped her shoulder and she groaned softly. "I'm alive," she mumbled. "I just don't wanna be."

"You need to eat," he said.

"Why?" she asked, peeking out from under the blanket.

"Your hangover is caused by lack of food and dehydration," he said. "I'll get you some fruit juice and when you're done that, go grab a shower; it'll help. While you're doing that, I'll start breakfast."

"Does that include Gravol?" she asked hopefully, sitting up carefully.

"I think it might," he said, smiling.

As he headed for the kitchen to get the fruit juice, he heard her moaning softly, "I am _never, ever_ doing that again. Steve?"

"Yeah?"

"I just realized I'm wearing next to nothing. Where's my dress and what the hell did I do?"

"You decided you wanted to go swimming; something about wanting to do that since you came here," Steve said, coming back with a glass of pineapple, banana, and coconut smoothie from Oasis Smoothie. When she accepted the glass, he pulled his robe around her shoulders.

"Thanks. No aspirin?"

"Not a good idea to mix that with the alcohol that's still in your bloodstream," he said. "The shower and breakfast will help, trust me. Go."

Millie headed for the shower, Steve's robe all but burying her. When she got out, she found drawstring shorts and a shirt outside the door; based on the size and style, they looked like Steve's. She decided she didn't care; they were clean and they were comfortable.

When she came downstairs, following the tantalizing smell of cooking, it was to discover Danny at the table. He grinned when he saw her.

"You spent the night here," he said, having spotted her dress on the couch and noticing her rather large clothing.

"On his couch, bonehead," she shot back. "Don't start getting ideas. We're not."

_Not yet_, Steve mouthed at Millie, watching her blush.

"Hangover?" Danny asked, watching the all-familiar signs of Millie moving carefully.

"Yes," she said, accepting the plate of scrambled eggs and toast from Steve.

"How bad?" Danny asked.

"Enough to make me swear off alcohol for the rest of my life," she grumbled.

"Have you taken anything for the headache?" Danny asked.

"Mr. Expert says it's not a good idea to mix painkillers with whatever alcohol's left in my bloodstream. Why are you here?"

"Hoping I can convince Steve to help me with Grace's fundraiser thing," Danny said. "It's supposed to be some carnival thing and Grace wants to use him as a target on those dunking tanks."

"That would be hilarious. When is it?" Millie asked, ignoring Steve's glare in her direction.

"Next Wednesday."

"Send me the information and put my name down; Grace loved the face-painting I did on her last time. I'll do it again; I usually do when HSPCA has one of their Adopt-a-thon things," said Millie.

"That's good of you," said Danny, eyes wide.

"By the way, Hugh?" Millie asked.

"Off-limits, I know," Danny said, holding up his hands.

"Give her a chance," Steve said, chastening his partner.

"Okay," said Danny, eyes wide.

"He was my boyfriend of about a year. He was hit and killed by a drunk driver during a routine traffic stop. Shoved his training officer out of the way in time, but couldn't get out of the way himself," Millie said. "I later found out he was going to ask me to marry him that night; he had the ring and everything."

"Ouch," Danny said, wincing.

"The same week I buried him, Gram died. Peter tried to contest her will and her life insurance policy, which left everything to me, but the judge threw the case, and him, out of court. Once everything was settled, I left, and aside from Drew's wedding, I haven't been back since," Millie continued. "That's all there is to it."

"And that's why you don't like talking about your past; hurts too much," Danny said.

"Exactly."

"Okay, am I forgiven for being a nosy bastard?" he asked hopefully.

Millie groaned, deciding to give the detective a break, knowing she was going to need one soon. She gestured for him to come over to her side of the table and he did so. Then she stood up and gave him a hug.

"You're forgiven. Just don't do it again, okay?" she said.

"No promises," he teased.

She glared at him. "How much do you value your nuts?"

Later, as Steve took Millie home, he had a question for her.

"If you're sitting on all that money, how come you haven't bought a house of your own?" he asked.

Millie smiled tiredly. "To borrow a phrase from _Captain America: The First Avenger_, I figured I'd wait for the right partner."


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

"I don't know what's going on between those two, but something is," said Danny. He was chatting with Chin, Kono, and Lou. Steve had gone with Millie to the courthouse to talk to Ellie, their favorite district prosecuting attorney, about a warrant for a suspect's home. It wasn't an urgent matter, but even Danny had noticed Steve and Millie were spending a lot of time together. "They went hiking over the weekend, and I found Millie's dress on his couch when I stopped by Saturday morning."

"What did Steve say?" Lou asked.

"He didn't confirm, nor did he deny, I might add," Danny said. "Same thing with Millie. And since when does it take two of them to ask for a search warrant?"

"Well, I'm glad they're doing something; I was starting to get dizzy just watching them dance around each other!" Kono said.

"You know if we interfere or start getting nosy again, Millie will have our heads," Chin warned them. "And the last time was the last time."

"I know, but it's so much fun watching them try and be discrete about it. Steve was not like this with Catherine," Danny said.

"Because it was already known Steve and Catherine were dating," Kono pointed out.

"If I remember right, they were dating even before Five-0 existed," Chin said. "Remember Walton Dawkins? Based on the conversation, those two had been seeing each other for a bit."

"Who wants to take bets as to when we'll find the pair of them in each other's arms when they think no one's around?" Lou asked.

"I'm waiting for one of them to go bonkers when one of them finds themselves in a mess; probably going to be Steve in the mess and Millie freaking out," Danny said.

"I'll take that bet. Two weeks, max," Lou said.

"Mmm, a month," said Kono. "So far, they're being careful."

"Three weeks and we find Millie in Steve's lap," Chin said, grinning.

Later that day, it was quiet in the offices and everyone had left for the weekend, except for Steve, who was muddling through paperwork. Then he realized he needed something from Millie's office, who had already gone home for the day.

"_Hi, Steve. To what do I owe the pleasure of your call?_" Millie asked on the second ring.

He chuckled. "I need access to your filing cabinet, pretty lady."

"_The key is in my top desk drawer, the one with the white tab on it,_" Millie replied. "_How come you're not at home, or at least headed for home? Isn't there a football game on tonight?_"

"There is, but it's nobody I'm interested in," Steve said. "Besides, I can get some work done faster when it's quiet."

"So, you don't miss my company_?_" she teased, surprising herself by flirting with him; he made it so easy to do.

"Your company is always welcome. In fact, I was thinking about heading for the 'Aiea Loop Trail this weekend, at the Keaiwa Heiau State Recreation Area. You ever been there before?" he asked, finding the key and unlocking the file cabinet.

"_Can't say I have._"

"Come join me then, and if you like it enough, maybe we'll go camping. It's a beautiful area."

"Sounds like fun, and I don't really have anything planned this weekend, unless you get a call-out. Besides, if I'm going to keep chasing after you guys the way I have been as of late, I need to get in better shape."

Steve chuckled. "Trust me; your shape is very nice indeed."

"Nice one_,_" she said, laughing, even as she blushed. Then she saw something that suddenly made her nervous. "What the hell is that asshole doing here?" Millie mumbled, getting out of Blackbird.

"What's wrong?"

"It's a pervy bastard I crossed words with at the gas station earlier, when I was filling up Blackbird. He came on to the teenage girl behind the counter and I told him off," Millie said, heading for her apartment and beginning to unlock her door. "And now he's here and pulling into my parking lot. He must've been following me. I've got a bad feeling about this."

"I'm on my way. Stay on the line and get inside," he said, heading for his office.

"_Hear ya_." Then: "_You need to leave, now. I don't have anything to say to you_."

Steve caught the words "bitch" and then the horrifying sound of flesh striking flesh. Millie cried out in pain.

"Millie!"

"_Gonna teach you a lesson, you little bitch_," someone snarled.

Millie screamed again. "_Steve!_" There was a crashing noise, and the line went dead.

"Millie!" Steve yelled again. Grabbing his gun from his desk, he tore out of the Headquarters, frantically hitting buttons. "This is Commander Steve McGarrett, Five-0 Taskforce! I need backup and an ambulance at Millie Thompson's place, now!" He rattled off an address before thumbing the Off button and dialing Danny's number.

"_Please tell me we don't have another call out; I just picked up Grace for the weekend_," Danny said upon answering.

"Get over to Millie's place, now! She's being attacked! Call the others!" Steve snapped.

"_Damnit! On my way!_" Danny said, ending the call.

Steve saw Duke and yelled, "Radar's in trouble! Someone's attacking her!"

"Where?" Duke demanded, chasing after him.

"Her place, on Sunset Road! I've already called for backup!"

"Right beside you," Duke said, following Steve to his truck.

Steve would later swear that was the longest drive of his life. Duke, who was riding with him, kept trying to reach Millie, but the calls were never answered.

"That's not like Radar," Duke said. "Even at three in the morning, she usually answers by the third ring. She cusses us out, but she answers."

Then Chin called.

"_HPD just got a call-out of someone being attacked_," Chin reported. "_The caller is three doors down from Millie's place, and they reported hearing someone screaming._"

"Millie," Steve said.

"_The caller said she heard both a male and a female voice screaming, and possibly a cat yowling_," Chin said. "_Sounds like Lunkhead got involved in the fight._ _I should be there in fifteen, and I know Kono and Adam aren't far behind._"

Steve slid in to the parking lot, ignoring the fact that Duke's face was looking a little green. He spotted her Jeep, parked where it usually was, and then felt his blood run cold; the door to Millie's place was open.

A screeching noise caught his ears; it was Danny's black Camero, with Grace in the front seat. All three men tore out of their respective vehicles and towards the apartment, with Steve and Duke pulling out their weapons.

"Millie!" Steve yelled, looking around the trashed apartment frantically.

"Jesus Christ," Duke swore. "What the hell happened?"

She wasn't in the living room, or the kitchen. That left her bedroom and the bathroom.

"Clear!" Duke said, having investigated the bathroom. The bedroom door was shut and when Steve tried to open it, he found something blocking it, but the door knob was unlocked.

"Danny!"

Millie drifted for a time in pain, in shock...

She had been attacked by the bastard at the gas station and remembered screaming for Steve. Then Lunkhead had attacked and she had managed to crawl away, to head for her bedroom and push her dresser against the door and find her gun, just in case. She couldn't remember anything after that.

She wasn't sure, but she thought she heard someone calling her name, banging on her door, maybe on her window.

"_Millie! Millie, answer me!_"

It was Steve; she was sure of it.

She tried to answer him, but all she could manage was a pained moan. She had to tell him the door was blocked by her dresser.

Where was that fool cat of hers? Was he hurt?

There was a thudding noise, and then Steve was there, and so was Danny, and even Duke? They were on her bed, calling her name, touching her face. She could see Duke on his radio, hear voices she couldn't quite make out.

Someone took the gun from her hand. She could hear them calling her, calling her babe, sweetheart, even.

"Millie, sweetheart, stay with us. Stay with us, babe," Danny begged. He had seen women beaten before, sometimes to death, but nothing scared him as much as it did right now, seeing his friend covered in blood and bruises. He glanced at Steve; he wasn't much better.

Steve called her Nani, begging her to stay with them. Then he had his arms around her, under her, and she was being lifted, carried. Her wrist and arm screamed in pain and she moaned again.

"I got you, Nani. It's okay; I got you," he soothed.

He felt good, so good...

Lights blurred...

Her head, her face, her whole body, it all hurt and she just wanted to sleep for a while. Sleeping felt good.

She could hear Danny yelling and wished he'd stop, so she could snuggle against Steve.

Steve felt Millie slide her good arm around his shoulders and glanced at her, worried. She didn't look good, and her good eye had drifted almost shut. There was so much blood on her face. He didn't want to lose her.

"_Where was that damn fool cat?_" Millie wondered hazily. She had to know.

"Steve..." she got out. God, her mouth hurt.

"I'm right here, sweetie, I'm right here," he soothed, holding her close. She could still smell his aftershave and it still smelled sexy, like musk of some kind. She could stay like that forever, her head on his shoulder...

"Lunkey? Where's Lunkey?" she asked. "Think he's hurt..."

"We'll find him, I promise," he soothed, laying her on what felt like a bed of some kind.

Steve laid Millie on the stretcher the paramedics had waiting for her, and they took over, trying to determine her injuries, the severity of them, her responsiveness, all that fun stuff. As they worked, Chin joined him, his face going pale at the sight of Millie.

"Just spoke to the neighbour that called in the 9-1-1 call; Lunkhead may have gotten in a few good claws, based on the screaming she heard coming from Millie's place," Chin said. "To quote her, it sounded like the very Devil himself was unleashing his fury."

"She get a description?"

"Even better; she got a plate. We're running it now."

Millie cried out.

"Please, stop," she begged, tears sliding down her face as she struggled against the paramedics. "Don't hurt me anymore, please."

Steve put himself in her line of view, touching her face gently, trying to get her to calm down. "It's okay, Nani, it's okay. They're not trying to hurt you deliberately, I promise, but they need to move you and you may have a broken arm." He wiped away her tears before accepting a wet gauze pad from Chin, who was hovering nearby, and began cleaning the blood off of her face.

"Don't leave," she mumbled, begging.

"Go with her," Chin told Steve. "We've got this."

Steve nodded and followed the paramedics, reaching for Millie's hand.

Millie felt something warm grip her hand. "Do you feel that?" Steve asked. When she nodded, he said, "That's me. I'm right here, and I'm not going anywhere, okay?"

"Lunkey?"

"Chin and Danny are looking for him, and they have Grace with them," Steve promised.

"Stupid furball. Kitty treats gonna cost me big time," she mumbled.

She heard Steve chuckle then she yelped as something jabbed her arm.

"Easy," he soothed. "That's just the paramedics putting in an intravenous line in your arm."

"Hate needles," she muttered.

He grinned at her. "If you hate needles, why do you donate blood every fifty-six days?"

"Right thing to do. Universal donor."

"You're Type O? Good to know," Steve said, watching the paramedic make a note on her file.

"She can donate to anyone but she can only receive her own type," someone said.

"So, she can give to me, but I can't give to her," Steve said.

"Bright boy," she mumbled.

She heard him chuckle again; God, she loved that sound...

Even as Millie was loaded in to the ambulance, Steve held Millie's hand. She seemed to remain calm as long as she knew he was there.

"Think Lunkey got him..."

"I heard. That was one angry cat," Steve said. "We've already got a BOLO out for his vehicle and general appearance, complete with cat claw injuries, especially around the face and arms."

"That's going to smart," someone said. "Depending on how mad the cat was, he may need stitches and antibiotics."

"Think large, furry, and very, very pissed," Steve said. "From what the neighbour is saying, stitches are a very likely probability."

"Grace, big wimp," she mumbled, just wanting to hear him talk; he had a really nice voice. It kept calling her back...

Steve watched worriedly as Millie drifted in and out of consciousness. She still had a grip on his hand, which was good, and she was clearly mentally aware, at least enough to be worrying about Lunkhead.

His cellphone rang; it was Danny.

"Danny, please tell me you found that cat," he said.

"_We found him, thanks to Grace. He hisses at everyone else but goes all cute kitty with her. She even knew where the kitty treats were,_" Danny said. "_But he's hurt; looks like one of his legs. Adam came with Kono, and it seems he knows someone who is known for dealing with difficult animals, and if there is any animal that qualifies as difficult right now, it would be Lunkhead. Fortunately, Grace is keeping him calm enough for us to see that he's got blood on his claws, which coincides with the blood we found on the walls and the floor. I swear, after this, that cat is getting a lifetime of fresh fish and steak. How's Millie and what the hell happened?_"

"She's in and out," Steve admitted. "Paramedics think she might have a broken arm." He glanced out the window. "As for what happened, all I know is that we were talking on the phone, and then she said some pervy guy she'd crossed words with at the gas station had just pulled up. She said he made her nervous and I told her to get inside, that I would be there as quickly as possible. I heard someone say something about teaching her a lesson, she screamed, I heard a crashing noise, Millie screamed again, and then the line went dead."

"_We'll check her finances; find out where she got her gas, and go from there. Maybe they'll have a video of this bastard_," Danny said.

"Do it. Looks like we're almost at the hospital. Better call the Phelps family."

"_That is going to be a fun call_," Danny groused.

"Tell Danny... three, five, nine, one..." Millie whispered.

"Is that your phone's access code?" Steve asked.

"Yeah. Try... Mike's... phone and ask... Susan... to come," Millie said, ending on a quiet sigh as she drifted into unconsciousness again.

"Danny, did you get that?" Steve demanded.

"_Got it, and we're in. I'll let you know how it goes_," Danny promised, ending the call.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

"I hate doing this," said Kono. "It feels like we're invading her private space, and Millie's a friend."

Millie was at the hospital with Steve, and Danny was calling Mike and Susan Phelps. Based on the way he was pacing, the call wasn't going good.

"I know, but we have to; it's the only way that figure out what happened," Chin said.

Fong was there, carefully extracting blood from Lunkhead's claws, who was growling the whole time. As soon as he was done, Grace and Danny would be taking the cat to an emergency veterinarian who was known for being able to handle difficult animals. In fact, it was Grace who was keeping Lunkhead calm with kitty treats and petting. It seemed Millie had introduced Grace to Lunkhead when Danny had gotten called away during a case, and girl and feline had bonded.

"Okay, we're good," said Fong, straightening up and putting the q-tips with the collected blood in his kit; they would be processed at the crime lab as quickly as possible.

"And Mama Phelps is on her way; she'll be on the first available flight from Portland to Honolulu and will call me with her itinerary as soon as she knows," said Danny, joining them. "Not a happy woman."

"I wouldn't be either," said Lou.

Danny waggled Millie's phone. "She has her banking app thingie on here; it might be able to tell us where she stopped to get gas, which is where Steve said she said she first encountered her attacker."

"How is she, by the way?" Kono asked.

"In and out. Paramedics think she may have a broken arm. We need to figure out what happened and catch this bastard so I can personally put him in traction for the rest of his very long, very miserable life," said Danny.

"Get in line, Danny," said Duke, joining them. "I've got the BOLO out for this bastard, but what happened and why?"

"Right now, all any of us know is that Millie was attacked by some guy from a gas station." Chin took Millie's cellphone. "I'll take this back to Headquarters, see what I can get off of it."

"And we'll get this furball to the you-know-what," said Danny.

"We'll finish processing this place," Kono said. Lou and Duke nodded.

It was Kono who found the photograph. It was an eight by ten shot of the whole team, with Millie seated next to Steve. It had been during Millie's surprise birthday party, and Millie looked happy. Kono remembered Steve hadn't been able to take his eyes off her the whole evening and Millie had blushed several times when Steve caught her looking at him.

"Okay, so Millie comes in the door while talking to Steve, tells the bad guy to take a hike, he cusses her out, and slams the door open; the wall has a doorknob dent and what looks like a boot print on the door," said Lou.

"Steve said he heard Millie get hit, so at some point the attacker hits her," Kono said. "Millie isn't a big person, so she's going to go down. She loses her purse... and takes a swing at the guy with the vase, but there's no blood, so it wasn't a fatal hit," she said, pointing to the broken glass vase with colourful roses scattered about, and picking up the purse; Millie would need it at the hospital.

"Maybe makes a dive for the kitchen or hallway but he must've grabbed her and she goes down, catching the footstool in the process," said Lou, pointing to the overturned teal footstool that appeared to double as a storage unit.

"That's going to hurt," Kono said, "especially with these floors." The floor was laminated wood flooring and solid. "She goes down, he hits her (that looks like blood and saliva), at some point she breaks or fractures her arm, possibly from trying to defend herself, and Lunkhead gets involved. I don't think she's heavy enough to break the coffee table, and I'm seeing shredded fabric and blood."

The coffee table in question was made of solid wood and broken.

"There's a broke coffee mug over here; she may have thrown it at him. There's blood on it, hopefully his," said Lou, heading for the open kitchen and pointing to the remains of a coffee mug against one living room wall. A coffee ring was on the breakfast bar. "There's blood on the floor leading the her bedroom. Dresser is partly blocking the door, so Millie tried to block her door with the dresser."

In the bedroom they found Millie's backup weapon, the SIG she had brought with her during the Nightshade mission. It was loaded and full.

"Nice bed," said Lou. The canopy bed was made of repurposed scaffolding material and decorated with colourful sheer fabrics.

"I've seen these before; they are so cool and so easy to do," said Kono. "Wonder where she got the idea. I would love to get one for my room."

"Hopefully you'll be able to ask her," said Lou. "Didn't Danny say Millie spent the night on Steve's couch a while back?"

"Yeah, why?" Kono asked.

Lou held up a green men's t-shirt that was at least three sizes too big for Millie. By the smell, it hadn't been washed in a while and had a very masculine odour. "Nothing going on, huh?" he said, smirking.

Kono's phone rang; it was Chin.

"_Eddie's Fast Gas Bar on Rycroft Street,_" said Chin. "_Looks like she paid for a tank of gas there about an hour ago, and according to her banking statements, she's a regular there, so she should be recognized_."

"Let's pray they have cameras that actually record," Lou said.

"_Places like that, they have to_," said Chin. "_And Susan Phelps just called Danny; she'll be landing at the international airport in about seven hours, baring complications._"

"Who wants to get her?" Kono asked.

"_I'll go," _said Chin. "_I know what she looks like. From what I'm seeing on Millie's phone, Steve isn't going to want to leave Millie alone_."

"In that case, we'll go have a chat with the Gas Bar," said Lou.

"Any hits on the prints CSU got from Millie's apartment?" Kono asked.

"_Still running, but fingers crossed_," said Chin. "_Some other news; Lunkhead has a broken leg, possibly from when he was thrown, but he'll be okay_."

"Explains why he was so grumpy," said Lou. "I would be too."

At the gas station Kono and Lou hit paydirt; the cashier behind the counter recognized Millie. Her name tag read _Donna_ and she was about sixteen or seventeen, reminding Lou of his own daughter.

"This skanky guy started talking really dirty to me, saying I was real pretty and wanted to know what bra size I was, that we could have fun together, creepy stuff like that," Donna said. She shivered, rubbing her arms.

"What did Millie do?" Lou asked.

"Told the guy off; told him to get a grip and called him a filthy old bastard. Said I was old enough to be his daughter and to get his brain out of his pants," Donna said.

"How did he react?" Kono asked.

"Called her a bitch and stormed out," said Donna. "Then Millie's gave me her card and said to call her if he ever caused me problems again. She even asked me why I didn't just quit my job; I said it was because I need the money. Large family, small income."

"Do you have video, specifically in this area? We need to know what he looks like, maybe what he drives?" Kono asked.

Donna eagerly got her supervisor, who provided the video. They would send it to Headquarters for closer examination.

"Did Millie get hurt because of me?" Donna asked, chewing on her knuckle.

"No, Millie got hurt because some jerk couldn't stand to be told no," Kono said gently. "What happened is not your fault. This is not the first time Millie's stood up for someone, and knowing her, it won't be the last. It's just the way she is."

"Do you keep where she is? I want to thank her, maybe bring her something for defending me," Donna said.

"She's at Queens, but from what we're hearing, it's her cat who's the hero," said Lou. "Seems he made hamburger of the guy."

"And he loves fresh fish," said Kono, grinning.

"One of my brothers works on a fishing boat and the captain lets him fish his own fish," Donna said thoughtfully. "Maybe some mahi-mahi."

"Lunkhead would love that," Kono said, nodding in approval.

"Mahi-mani?" Lou asked Kono on the way back to the car.

"Common dolphinfish," Kono explained. "It means very strong in Hawaiian, and the bulls can get up to twenty-nine pounds."

"That's a lot of fish for one cat," said Lou.

"Yeah, except Millie once weighed Lunkhead, and he was pushing thirty pounds," Kono said. She grinned at the shocked expression on Lou's face. "It ain't all fur he's got."

"Jeez; that is going to be one sorry son of a bitch," Lou mumbled.

At Headquarters Chin ran the video. "We've got him," he said, zooming in on a man with dark hair and a rough appearance. They watched as the man chatted up Donna, who looked very uncomfortable, and then Millie, who was standing behind him, confronted him, clearly telling him off. The man said something and stormed out of the store. The external camera showed him getting in his truck and following Millie out of camera range.

"Son of a bitch followed her home, and because she's not trained, or expecting it, she didn't realize it until she saw him in her parking lot," said Lou.

"And we have a hit; meet Don Moore," said Kono. "He's been arrested for assault against women several times and is a suspect in three rape and sexual assault cases. All the victims were Donna's age, except for the prostitutes he beat up, who were a bit older, but still fairly young."

"I want this creep in the worst way," Lou growled.

"Join the club," said Chin.

They updated the BOLO and even sent out the information to a few bounty hunters the team was friends with. Kamekona Tupuola, who was fond of Millie, jumped in as well when Chin told him what happened.

"He won't get far, brah, trust me," Kamekona said, studying Moore's mug shot.

"We found evidence that says Lunkhead attacked him in defence of Millie, so he's going to need medical attention; stitches at least, possibly antibiotics," Chin said. "Depending on how well he knows the island and who he knows, he may not go to a medical clinic or hospital."

"I hear you," said Kamekona. "Millie is a nice lady; always spoke nicely to me and would stop by at least once a week for a pineapple snowcone. What's going on with her and McGarrett?"

"What do you mean?"

"I seen 'em together a time or two, looking real cozy, especially lately. If I didn't know better, I'd say they were dating."

Chin chuckled. "I don't know. If they are, then they are, and because Millie is protective of her privacy, I'm not going to go poking where it's none of my business. If they are, then I'm happy for both of them."

"Fair enough. Fair enough."

At the hospital, Millie had been admitted in a timely fashion. Her right arm had been x-rayed, along with her head and ribs, the examining doctor fearing a skull fracture and cracked or fractured ribs. She was stable, conscious, and thinking clearly, but in pain and frightened. Because of the circumstances surrounding her attack, Steve had posted a guard outside of her room and left only to answer his cellphone.

The blood around Millie's face had been cleaned up, revealing blossoming bruises around her eye, jaw, and mouth. The paramedics had cut off her shirt, and bruises could be developing. Further examination had revealed a badly bruised right knee and sprained ankle, likely from a fall. The prognosis was simple; Millie Thompson was going to be hurting for a week, possibly two.

"Steve?" Millie asked softly.

He appeared, reaching for her hand. "Hey," he said, smiling reassuringly at her.

"How bad?" she asked.

"You're going on vacation for at least two weeks, for starters," he said, brushing her hair out of her face and stroking her skin gently. "Don't expect to do much, though; you got the hell beaten out of you."

"So no hiking?"

"Not until your knee and ankle heal a bit, I'm afraid."

"Damn. Sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry for; it happens. We'll just have to find another way to have fun for a while."

She smiled, then winced; her lip had been split. "Is there any ice?"

Steve got some crushed ice from the nursing station and helped her suck on them. "What's the word on Lunkey and the bastard that hurt us?"

"Lunkey is with Danny and Grace; he has a broken leg but is doing okay," Steve said, giving her another piece of ice. "As for your attacker, he hasn't been found, but we know who he is. Chin said his name is Don Moore and he has a history of assaulting young women. He's also a suspect in three rape and sexual assault cases. You remember the cashier at the gas station?"

"Yeah; Donna, I think."

"The victims are girls her age."

"Son of a bitch," Millie breathed. "Promise me something."

"Okay."

"As soon as we can, teach me how to fight. I need to knock how to fight against guys like him," she begged. "I don't want to go through this again."

"We'll all teach you," he promised, kissing her temple.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

A search warrant executed on Don Moore's house turned up nothing. The next step was to go after his family. Hospitals, medical clinics, vets, anyone and everyone, had been alerted.

Moore's truck had been found abandoned at a house where the owners were away on the mainland, and another vehicle, a car, had been stolen. Bloody towels and scattered First Aid supplies told CSU that Moore was hurting, and hurting bad.

Once again, the BOLO had been updated and someone commented over the radio.

"_Short of the long, this guy has hamburger for a face. Real easy to spot. Does he even know Radar is one of us?_"

"_Don't think so; word is she was off-duty at the time. He attacked her because she told him off after he hit on a teenage girl_," someone said.

"_Someone get Radar to baptize a pair of cuffs please!_"

"_Hear! Hear!_"

After that, all anyone could do was wait and watch.

Susan Phelps was very much a lady, Chin thought, seeing the woman coming off the plane gangway. Even after six hours in the air, she still looked elegant.

With her black silver-streaked hair tucked in a bun, Susan wore boot-cut jeans and a white scoopneck tank underneath a sheer coral paisley-print drape cardigan scarf. Brown booties with three-inch stacked heels were on her feet, and she wore simple gold jewelry. She was carrying a simple black carry-on and a brown leather purse.

"Mrs. Phelps?" Chin asked. When she stopped and looked at him, he held up his badge. "I'm Detective Lieutenant Chin Ho Kelly, Five-0 Taskforce, and a friend of Millie's. Welcome to Hawaii. I just wish it was under better circumstances."

"Likewise," said Susan. "How is Millie doing and what's the status of the asshole who hurt her?"  
"Millie's at Queens Hospital and is stable. She been beaten, badly, but she's alive; that's the important thing," Chin said, leading the way through the airport to his car. "As for the attacker, we've identified him. There's a whole lot of cops looking for him, and from what we were about to determine, he won't be too hard to spot. It seems Millie's cat, Lunkhead, got his claws in him, literally."

Susan nodded grimly. "Drew told me about Lunkhead, and from the horror stories he's told me about what he encounters in his practice, I have a pretty good idea the kind of damage that can be inflicted by a cat the size of Lunkhead." She smiled. "Drew referred to him as a walking biohazard. Is he really that bad?"

Chin smiled. "I wouldn't know personally, but from the cussing I've heard from Millie on several occasions, I would have to say yes."

"Good. What about Steve McGarrett? What's he like and what's going on with him and my daughter?"

Chin glanced at her, his eyes going a bit wide. "As far as I know, they're good friends and Millie is a valued team member. If there's something going on between them, I don't know about it," he said.

Susan smiled at him. "Nice side-step, Lieutenant, but I've been a cop's wife for over twenty-five years, and Millie is my daughter. I have also raised two boys, one of whom is also a cop; I know when someone is hiding something from me. Not that long ago, Millie sent me an email with pictures from a recent hiking trip with Steve, one of which was a very nice shot of him. The last time I saw that kind of picture was when she was dating Hugh, her long-time boyfriend, and that was years ago. Now, what is going on between them? And just who is Steve?"

Chin couldn't help but laugh. Yup, mama bear in full protective over-drive. "Honestly, I don't know. I have my suspicions, but beyond that, I don't know. As for Steve, he's my boss, a Navy SEAL with an impressive record, and the son of my former training partner, when I was still with the HPD, which is a very long, very complicated story." He sighed, remembering that fateful meeting all those years ago. "Steve is the one who first put the Five-0 Taskforce together and asked me to join him and Danny. He trusted me in a time when no one else would. He's a good man and if he and Millie are seeing each other, then Steve will take the relationship seriously; he's not the kind of guy to fool around. He may get a little over-protective, but I'm sure Millie can stand up for herself. She doesn't let him get away with much on the job anyway."

Susan smiled. "Good. That's the way it should be."

At the hospital Steve, Kono, Lou, and Danny were waiting for them. Grace was with Max, who was babysitting a very unhappy Lunkhead.

"Mrs. Phelps, I'm Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett, Five-0 Taskforce. This is Detective Sergeant Danny Williams, whom you spoke on the phone with, Officer Kono Kalakaua, and Captain Lou Grover," Steve said.

"It's a pleasure to meet all of you; Millie has spoken very highly of you, aside from the occasional cussing," Susan said, causing a round of smiles. "Now, where is she?"

Steve guided her to Millie's room, where a uniformed officer stood outside the door.

"The doctor wants to keep her overnight for observation because of a possible concussion," Steve explained. "She's got some cracked ribs, a broken wrist, fractured forearm, sprained ankle, and a badly bruised knee. The doctor had to put pins in her wrist from what Max, our medical examiner, thinks is the result of a fall."

"And the arm?" Susan asked.

"Self-defence; she brought her arm up to protect herself."

Then Susan saw Millie, who was dozing from the painkillers and antibiotics in her system, and she gasped, fingers flying to her lips, and eyes filling with tears. Millie stirred and opened her eyes, looking around.

"Mom?" she said, when her eyes landed on Susan.

Susan went to her. "I'm here, baby girl, I'm here. You're going to be okay now."

"I want to go home; I hate hospitals," Millie mumbled, sucking on the ice Susan placed on her lips.

"And you will, I promise, but the doctors want to keep you overnight for observation," Susan said. "And I'll be right here the whole time."

"Okay." As Millie drifted off again, she mumbled, "Be nice to Steve. He can get a little crazy and pig-headed, but I like him lots. Drew did too, and Lunkhead tolerates him."

Susan smiled, seeing Steve's face blush a little.

An hour later, Susan and Steve were chatting quietly. The rest of the team had gone home on the assurance that if anything changed, they would be called.

"Millie said you took her in after she got arrested when she was fifteen and practically claimed her as your own," Steve said. "She said she was legally adopted by you guys after she turned eighteen."

"That's right. It started out as a joke, but once we did some checking with a lawyer, we realized how easy it would be. So we did. Millie was of legal age; she didn't have to tell Janice anything anymore," Susan said. "The first time I saw her, sitting in a jail cell meant for an adult, just sitting there, crying, my heart went out to her. I have two sons, and at that point I knew my baby days were well and truly over. I saw the way Janice and Peter treated her, and my heart broke. All Millie did was defend another girl, and she was being punished for it." She looked at Millie, who was sleeping. "Did you know she honestly thought she didn't deserve to be loved, that she believed what Peter said about her, being nothing but trouble?"

"If he comes near my island, he's going to find out what I think of him," Steve said.

"I'm sure he will," Susan said, smiling. "Millie asked me why I was bothering with her, and I told her that it was the ones who thought they didn't deserve to be loved, that needed to be loved the most. She may not be of my blood or my body, but make no mistake; she's my baby girl."

Duke appeared, a grin on his aging face. He was carrying a black handcuff case that held a pair of handcuffs.

"Susan, this is Sergeant Duke Lukela," Steve said, doing introductions. "Duke, this is Susan Phelps, Millie's mom. She just flew in from Portland."

"A pleasure to meet you, ma'am," said Duke, nodding at her. "Got something for Radar," he said to Steve. "How's she doing?"

"I'm awake, Dukey, sort of," came Millie's faint voice.

"You're supposed to be sleeping," Susan chided.

"I hate hospitals," Millie shot back, causing them to grin. "And it feels like I've got a ton of lead on my arm."

"Having your arm in a cast will do that," Steve said, having been there, done that.

"Right, says the guy who shattered his forearm while looking at a body dumped on a cliff," Millie said. "What's up, Dukey?"

"Bunch of guys and I got together; we engraved you a pair of handcuffs," said Duke, taking the cuffs out and handing them to her. "The idea is that when we catch up to this Moore fellow, he can get slapped with your cuffs." Neatly engraved on one cuff was _Millie 'Radar' Thompson._ On the other cuff were the words _Five-0 Taskforce._

Millie groaned, holding her ribs. "Don't make me laugh; it hurts."

"I like the idea," Susan said.

Duke left with the cuffs shortly afterwards, promising to stay in touch.

Before Steve left, promising to be back in the morning, he spoke quietly to Millie.

"I'll be back in the morning. There's going to be a guard outside your door the whole time," he said softly, rubbing his thumb across her knuckles and stroking her face.

"Okay. And after that? I have to go home at some point," she said, savoring the contact while she could.

"You and your mom can stay with me or one of the others. I think Lou even offered to put you two up, seeing as how his place is a bit out of the way," Steve said. "Maybe even in a safehouse, until we catch Moore."

"I want my gun. I may not be able to use it, but Mom can. She's like me; knows, can, would rather not."

"Good to know. I'll give her your backup."

"And real coffee in the morning; I hate hospital coffee."

"And you just love your coffee," he teased.

"You're damn right I do. Now, give me a kiss and go get some rest."

Still grinning at her, he did as she said. "Going to start being demanding now, are we?" he teased.

"Buddy, you ain't seen nothing yet," she shot back. "Wait until the cast comes off, and then I'll show you a thing or two about being demanding." The smile he gave her had her blushing.

Then, once he left, Susan pounced. "All right, daughter of mine, what is going on between you two? Talk, now."


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

The night went quietly for everyone. While the police hunted, Millie rested. She hated feeling this vulnerable, not even able to do something as simple as use the bathroom without a bit of help.  
In the morning Steve and Danny came by with coffee, breakfast, and some news.

"We've got a safe house set up for you once you're released," Steve said, watching Millie savour her coffee. "He knows where you live and what you drive, and we would all feel safer if you weren't where he could find you again."

"How long do I have to hide? I don't want to do it forever; I can't, and I won't," Millie said, digging into her pancake breakfast; not an easy feat with her left hand. "That's not me, and you know it."

"I understand. There's a lot of people looking for him, believe me, but I don't know how long it will take to find him. He might be found in the next hour or the next week," Steve said. "You're welcome to use the house for as long as you want to, until you feel safe again."

"Transport?" she asked.

"Kamekona has a cousin who is willing to lend you a car," Danny said.

"Why doesn't that surprise me?"

Steve smiled. "You may not realize it, Nani, but you've got a lot of friends," he said. "Your mom has your gun. Starting today, you are on vacation for a minimum of two weeks, three or four if need be."

"When was the last time you took a vacation since you came here?" Susan asked Millie.

"Never. Haven't wanted to, haven't needed to," Millie admitted.

"Well, you're going to, and for the first week I'm going to be with you. I need a vacation from the boys at home," Susan said.

"That bad?" Danny asked, having already decided he liked Susan Phelps. The woman had spunk and class all rolled in one.

Susan groaned. "Cathy, Drew's wife, is expecting triplets, so the poor man is going bonkers over that. Sean is a cop working hard on his detective badge, and my husband is working on a case involving a rash of theft that's not only driving him bonkers, it's driving me bonkers because he's driving me bonkers!"

"And you've been married to him for how long?" Danny asked.

"Over thirty years, and twenty-five of those years have been with him as a cop," Susan said.

"Why haven't you killed him yet?" Danny asked.

"Are you familiar with the Vulcan saying of live long and prosper?" Susan asked. Both Steve and Danny nodded. "I have my version."

And right on cue, word for word, both mother and daughter said, "Live long and suffer!"

Millie laughed then held her ribs, groaning. "Bad idea, very bad idea."

"You know this is going to be payback for all the bad jokes you bounced off me," Danny said, grinning.

"I may hurt now, Detective Williams, but I will get you later," Millie warned him. Then a thought came to her. "Nuts; I need clothes. The paramedics had to cut mine off."

"I have a skirt and tank shirt," said Susan. "That will do until I can check your closet."

"I'm a few inches shorter than you," Millie reminded her.

"Yeah. And?"

"Good point." At Steve and Danny's puzzled glance, Millie explained. "Mom and I are similar in size; enough that we used to borrow clothes. Thanks to all the physical activity I get into these days, I may have lost a few inches, but I doubt that'll be much of an issue." Then another thought crossed her mind. "Darn, I won't be able to wear my favourite jeans for a while."

"Which ones are those?" Steve asked.

"The blue skinny ones with the white lace on the sides; you saw me wearing them on my day off once," Millie said. "They're a bit snug, and with my knee, not a good idea."

_Yeah, they were snug alright_, Steve remembered with a knowing grin, _in all the right places_.

Just before lunch, the doctor released Millie, satisfied she was in good hands. Steve picked them up in his truck, knowing they would need the room and the security.

Dressed in a patterned blue pleated pull-on skirt that fell to her ankles, and a blue and white tank shirt, her hair brushed into a braid, Millie didn't look too bad, aside from her numerous bruises and wrist-to-elbow cast.

At the apartment, Millie froze. Her door had a yellow police tape across it, which Steve removed. Inside, her eyes went wide at the sight of the smashed coffee table, the broken vase and scattered roses, smashed coffee mug, and blood on the floor.

Try as she might, Millie couldn't stop the memories or the tears.

"I can't stay here," she sobbed. "This has been my home since I came here, and I can't stay here anymore. Bastard!"

"Then don't stay, baby girl," Susan soothed. "Buy yourself a nice little two-bedroom house. Just because you don't have a partner today doesn't mean you won't tomorrow. You can always sell the house later."

"We'll help you pack this place up, put everything in storage until you decide what to do," Steve promised. "You don't ever have to come back here again, if you don't want to."

"What about Lunkhead?" Millie asked.

"He can stay with you at the safe house or wherever you decide to go," Steve assured her, rubbing her shoulder gently. "And we'll help you deal with your landlord too, if it comes to that."

"Okay, okay, I can do that," she sniffed. "I just want to get some stuff and then never come back here again."

"That won't be a problem," Steve assured her.

It was decided that Susan would take Blackbird and play tourist for a bit before heading for the safe house, in case someone was watching them.

With a bit of help, Millie packed a bin of her favourite personal belongings, including some framed photographs, and a suitcase full of her clothes and toiletries. Susan noticed that one of the framed pictures was of Millie and the whole Five-0 team. Somehow, during the short time she'd been working for them, these people had become as much a family to Millie as her adopted family was.

Millie also took her backup gun, bullets, and case file box of important papers, to be kept at Headquarters until further notice. As she gathered whatever else she felt she needed, Steve placed a few calls. In no time at all, he had help lined up for packing Millie's place.

Then, after Steve inputted the safe house address into Blackbird's onboard GPS system, they left.

Millie was quiet as Steve drove. He knew there was a lot on her mind, and her body was still in shock from the attack.

"Steve?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you pull over somewhere? Just for a few minutes?"

"Sure." He found a park area and pulled into the parking lot. "What's up?"

Millie unbuckled her seatbelt, then reached for him. It was awkward and a bit uncomfortable, so he got out of the truck, lifted her out, and headed for a nearby picnic bench. Then he held her the way she needed to be held. For a long moment neither of them said anything, just enjoying the quiet and comfort.

Then Millie spoke. "I'm not going to be the same after this, am I?"

"No. I think you're going to change a little bit; it's hard not to."

"I hate him."

"Good. Whatever you do, though, don't blame yourself for this."

"Maybe I do."

"Why?"

"For putting myself in the line of fire and never bothering to learn how to fight with my fists instead of just my mouth. If it hadn't been for Lunkey, there's a good chance he would have killed me, or worse."

"Hey. You never needed to know how to fight like that, okay? Nobody ever expects to get into a fight or get hit, unless you deliberately train for it. Fighting isn't supposed to be part of your job or your lifestyle," he soothed. "You didn't know; simply as that." He hugged her tightly. "I meant what I said; as soon as you're feeling up to it, we'll all teach you the tricks of the trade. Kono will no doubt have a few she'll be quite happy to teach you, and you can always pick on Danny."

Millie laughed, then groaned, holding her ribs. "Thank you," she said, smiling.

"You're more than welcome," he said, before kissing her gently.

"First chance I get, the second this cast comes off, you are mine," Millie mumbled, savouring the kiss.  
"Sounds good to me," he said, nuzzling her neck and making her shiver.

The safe house was a two-floor, three-bedroom house, with a view of the driveway, set back from the road, a secure basement, and a nice, but not exposed, backyard.

The living room had a comfortable chaise lounge chair that Millie could see herself spending a lot of time in. The kitchen was fully equipped, and someone had stocked the fridge and pantry.

All in all, it wasn't a bad place to hide for a while, Millie thought, relaxing on the lounger while Steve and Susan set the house up. Because Millie wasn't necessarily a protected witness, and stubborn as hell about her privacy, to avoid attracting attention, there would not be another cop around during the day. However, and Steve did insist on this, one of the team or someone from HPD would spend the night, in case Moore decided to be stupid and actually attack at night. What Steve didn't tell Millie but did tell Susan was that the house had an alarm sensor on each and every door and window, and if a button wasn't pushed beforehand, an alarm would go off. Also, there would be a patrol going by the house on a regular basis.

A car was dropped off for Millie and Susan; a nice little blue 2012 Volkswagen Eos convertible that would blend in with the rest of the cars on the island.

Then, once he was satisfied Millie was comfortable and secure, he gave her a kiss that curled her toes.

"Be safe, okay?" he said softly.

She smiled. "Go catch the bad guys, Koa," she said.

"You know what that means, right?"

"Yeah; _warrior_ in Hawaiian. It was either that or Kelamoku, which is Sailor, since you're Navy. Fair's fair, since you keep calling me Nani."

He smiled. "Koa it is. Get some rest; I'll call you later."

Millie rested, abet reluctantly, after having a badly-needed bath. The rest of the day went quietly, and around six Steve called, before bringing supper to them, and taking command of the third bedroom. Thanks to Susan, he was introduced to Yanni, a Greek music composer, and he found himself listening to _One Man's Dream, Reflections of Passion, _and even _The Rain Must Fall._

The next morning, he left, after kissing Millie soundly, and extracting promises from both of them to be careful.

"Don't worry; I have a plan for that girl," Susan told him, a gleam in her eyes. "This is my first trip ever to Hawaii, and I intend to do some sight-seeing. If I keep her moving, I keep her from thinking too much, and right now, thinking too much can be a bad thing for her."

"Sounds good to me. Keep your phone on in case I have to reach you," Steve said. "Take her to the Royal Hawaiian Center; plenty of shopping there."

"Okay, and what about the _Arizona_? Millie said you once said your grandfather is there?" Susan asked.

"He is, and he's still on the ship. I was named for him," Steve said.

"Then he must be proud of you, because Millie told me quite a bit about you; you're a good man, and you've got a good team," Susan said. "Thank you for taking care of my baby."

"She's got a big heart and that makes her easy to care about," Steve said. "And I know where she got that from, because it sure as hell wasn't from Janice or her other two brothers."

Susan blushed.

_Later:_

"Instrumental music? Seriously? Since when?" Danny yelped, listening to the sounds of Yanni's _Southern Exposure_ coming from Steve's office, and trying not to cringe.

"Since Susan introduced it to me," Steve said, trying to find a spot for the latest batch of flowers someone had delivered to Millie's office. He huffed softly. "This isn't an office, this is a greenhouse."

"You think that's bad? Rachel has had so much fresh fish delivered for Lunkhead, her freezer is crying," Danny said. "She and Grace will be dropping Lunkhead off at the safe house later today, and Rachel would like it sooner rather than later."

"He's tormenting the dog again?" Steve asked, grinning.

"Make that still," Danny said. "He may have a broken leg, but that over-sized fuzzball can still swear with the best of them, and he's sent the poor mutt running with his tail between his legs several times."

"Probably afraid he's going to lose his nuts," Steve said.

"Non-existent," said Danny.

"The cat or the vet?"

"The vet, a while back."

"Better than the cat; more merciful."

"Depends on which end of the knife you're on."


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Two days passed with no sign of Don Moore, leaving Millie on edge, and the rest of Five-0 worried he was going to try something really big and really stupid.

Millie spent her time either at the safe house or out exploring Honolulu with Susan. Danny stayed at the safe house one night, then Kono. Lou was next up.

"Hey Kaikuahine, how's your vacation going?" Chin asked, seeing her name pop up on his cellphone.

"_Not too bad. Mom's going to need another bag for her flight home, but oh well_," Millie said.

"Of course. What's up?"

"_I know Steve and Danny are chasing after a suspect again, so I'm hoping you're near a computer and can check out an address for me_," Millie said.

"Sure thing. What's the address?" Chin asked, heading for the computer table.

"_Number seven, Kauhane Street, near Papakolea Park, just off Tantalus Drive_," Millie said. "_The house has a For Sale sign, is currently doing an Open House, and I just had a walk-through, and spotted a patched bullet hole in the living room wall. What gives?_"

Curious, Chin imputed the address and came up with a police report. "According to the police report I just found, that house is the site of an unsolved murder," he said. "The house's owner, Michael Iwa, was found dead in the living room of a gunshot wound last year, around this time. No weapon was ever found, and there were no suspects or motive for the murder, so no one was ever arrested."

"_Money? Drugs? General asshole?_" Millie asked.

"Nope times three. He was well-liked and had six grandchildren at the time, plus was known for having kids over all the time," Chin said. "Neighbours reported hearing the sounds of shouting in the early hours of the morning and then gunshots. Other than that, there were no witnesses."

"_The house backs out on to the park, and the fence is chainlink, which could explain why no one saw anything,_" Millie said. "_Huh_."

"You thinking about buying a house?" Chin asked.

"_I can't stay at my apartment anymore,_" Millie admitted. "_And with Lunkhead being the wanderer that he is, trying to find another apartment is proving to be a bit difficult_."

"And with that house being the site of an unsolved murder, there is going to be a bit of a stigma attached to it," Chin said. "If it's solid, you should be able to get a good price for it."

"_Two bedrooms, attached two-car garage, nice fenced backyard with a treehouse I'm drooling over,_" Millie admitted. "_According to Google Maps, it would take me about ten minutes to get to work_."

"That's not bad," said Chin. "What's the listing price?"

"_Two-forty-five, down from three kay_," Millie said.

"If you like the house, and it checks out, you should get it," Chin said.

"_I'm mighty tempted_," Millie said. "_If I did put in an offer, and I mean_ if,_ the house would have to pass two inspections; a standard house inspection and one by you guys_."

"Why us?"

"_Because, with my luck, the house would get used as a hiding place and I want to make sure it's strong enough to handle a fight_," Millie said sourly. "_I don't want one of you guys suddenly going through the floor in the middle of a punch-up. Oh, and I would want the place properly blessed by a Hawaiian priest. Don't tell Danny, but I can't shake the feeling Mr. Iwa is still there, and a blessing might work in my favor._"

"Smart," said Chin, grinning.

"_Please don't tell anyone until I know my offer and conditions have been accepted_," Millie said. "_It's worth a beer if you do_."

Chin chuckled. "Don't worry about it; just keep me posted."

"_Will do. Malama pono_," she said.

"You too," he said, ending the call.

Just then, Steve and Danny came in, both looking a little winded and Steve's shirt looked sweat-stained.

"You find Marshal?" Chin asked.

"Yeah, he's in Interrogation," Steve said, heading for his office to change his shirt.

"Marshal gave Steve a bit of a workout; his antics would have put a monkey to shame," Danny explained.

"That good, huh?" Chin asked, grinning.

"That good. What's with the case?" Danny asked, seeing Michael Iwa's file on the screens.

"Something Millie asked me to look up," Chin said. "It's an address she came across."

"What is she up to this time?"

Chin smiled. "I'm not saying until she gives me the okay to say."

"You, my friend, are no fun," Danny said

At the house, seated in the car, Millie put her phone away.

"Well?" Susan asked.

"It used to belong to Michael Iwa, who was shot and killed in his living room around this time last year. Witnesses reported hearing shouting and gunshots in the early hours of the morning, but no weapon was ever found, and no suspects were ever arrested," Millie said. "There was no motive; Mr. Iwa had six grandchildren and was known for having kids over all the time, so he was well-liked."

"Interesting," said Susan, watching as Millie worried her lip.

"It's ten minutes from work and it would be nice to have a garden I can actually work in," Millie mumbled, thinking aloud. "Depending on what the house inspector and the team finds, I could probably put in another hundred kay of work, mostly the plumbing and wiring, which would increase the value, maybe make sure the windows are solid, and check the attic. The floors were nice and the walls weren't too bad. Would want to make sure the garage is solid enough, maybe put in a remote access. Bring Grace over, ask her to check out the treehouse."

"What about a lawyer to handle the title transfer?" Susan asked.

"I know one or two," Millie admitted, staring at the house.

"It's a good starter house, and if you fix it up the way you're thinking about, you could get a good return on it," Susan said.

"And because it's empty, I could move in right away, as soon as I break my lease with my landlord, but I doubt that'll be a problem."

"How much longer do you have on your lease?"

"About a month. Thing is, though, I got a call from the owners, Sally and Pete, and they had heard about what had happened and wanted to know if I was okay. I explained the problem I was having and they said that if I wanted to leave or even change units, they would gladly accommodate me, claiming mental and emotional stress. Jack is the landlord, who I usually deal with, and he can be a prick, but Sally and Pete assured me they would have the final say on the matter," Millie explained.

"So break the lease. If you're over here instead of in a safe house or the apartment, it's going to be a little harder to find you, especially if you use that garage to park Blackbird," Susan said. "Lunkey would probably be in heaven here."

Millie worried her lip, still staring at the house. Then she made up her mind. "Where's that real estate agent?"

Susan grinned and tore inside, searching for the woman. Seeing her, she put her arm around her shoulders and said, "I am about to make your day."

"Okay."

"That woman that's in the car, the one that looks like she had the hell beaten out of her? Pending an inspection, she wants the house."

"What about financing?" the agent asked suspiciously, following Susan out to the car.

"Not an issue. Trust me when I say she's got the money; she just doesn't have an agent."

"Okay. Is she aware of the history of the house?"

"Millie, dear, are you aware of the history of the house?" Susan asked.

Millie held up her badge. "Five-0 Taskforce. Yes, I'm more than aware. And?"

The agent's eyes went wide. "What would you be offering?" she asked, hope starting to form in her chest, but wincing at the sight of Millie's bruises.

"The listing price, pending an inspection; once by a house inspector, and once by a special team of my own," Millie said.

"When would you like to move in?" the agent asked.

"As soon as the paperwork and the inspection are completed. I'm between places at the moment; long story."

"And you don't have an agent of your own?"

"No, I don't. Do you think you can handle it, or do I need to find someone?" Millie asked.

"I would recommend getting a lawyer to handle the title transfer, but yes, I can handle the rest of it," the agent said. "Just let me call the sellers and if they agree to it, we'll draw up the papers."

Millie grabbed her notebook from her purse and wrote down her name, cellphone number, and email address. "Call me," she said, handing the piece of paper to the woman. "I'm hungry and craving coffee," she said to Susan.

Susan glanced at her watch. "And it is lunch time," she said cheerfully.

"Plus, I need to stop by my office," Millie said. "I don't trust the guys, and my vacation was unexpected."

"And I want to see what your office looks like," Susan said, getting into the driver's seat.

"You have my number. As soon as you know, call me and I'll give you my lawyer's information," Millie said to the agent.

"Yes ma'am!" the agent said eagerly.

At Headquarters, Millie managed to get up the stairs with a little help from a body-builder of a cop by the name of Sanders, who laughed at her indignant yell.

"If I wasn't married," Susan said, grinning at the cop's departing backside and her daughter's blushing face. "Does this happen often?"

"More than I care to," Millie growled, shoving the door to Headquarters open. "They're a good bunch, though, and I've worked with them since I came here."

"And you're supposed to be on vacation," said Kono, grinning at her from the computer table.

"Bite me, sistah," Millie shot back. "I need to check my messages and take care of a few things since I'm on this blasted vacation I didn't plan for. Where's the boss?"

"Right here," said Steve, behind her.

Millie jumped, startled. Then she swore. "Dang nabit, buster! One of these days you are going to scare somebody so badly, you'll give them a heart attack!"

Steve just grinned at her. "How are you holding?" he asked gently, rubbing her shoulders the way he knew she liked.

"Bit tired, still a bit sore, but doing okay," Millie said. "I'm just here to show Mom Headquarters and my office. You?"

"Just finished having a word with a suspect about a warehouse theft that left two guards dead, one in critical condition, and half a million in jewels and artifacts stolen or damaged," Steve said, leading the way to her office. "It's looking more and more like some of the artifacts were being used to transport drugs."

"Nasty. Anything I can do to help?"

"Yeah, go easy on yourself," he said. "It's Lou's turn to spend the night at the house."

Millie nodded. "Pending a call-out, would you be available later this week? There's something I'm working on and I may need your help."

"Sure thing," he said.

"Depending on what happens, I may also need everyone else, including Grace," Millie said.

"Sounds interesting. I'll let Danny know," he said, hoping for more details.

"I'll know more in the next hour or so and I'll let you know," she promised, smiling.

"By the way, your office?"

"Yeah?"

"Greenhouse," he said, watching Millie's eyes go wide and hearing Susan start laughing.

"Oh. My. God," Millie moaned.

Then:

"Where's Millie?" Danny said, cellphone to his ear, before stopping and staring in amazement; he wasn't used to seeing Millie in a skirt, which she was wearing. "Right there. Right."

"What?" Millie asked.

"HPD just got a tip from a woman saying she knows where Don Moore is and she was able to prove it to the cop she was talking to by sending us a very lovely picture of him," Danny said. "They just need your confirmation and they'll go nail his sorry ass." He went over to the computer table, did some fast typing, and pulled up a picture of a sleeping Don Moore, who was covered in assorted bandages around his face, hands, and arms.

Millie stared at the photo, feeling herself go cold. "That's him; that's the son of a bitch that attacked me. Duke has a pair of cuffs with my name on them. Get him and nail his ass to the ground," she said coldly.

"HPD is on their way," Danny said, speaking to someone on his cellphone.

"With those kind of injuries, he's not going to be going too far," Kono said, studying the picture.

"Let me grab my messages, and then I want to go home," Millie said.

"Good idea," Susan said, seeing the shine of tears in her daughter's eyes.

"We'll call you when they have him," Steve promised, gripping her hand as tightly as she was gripping his.

She nodded, breathing shakily. Her nightmare would be over soon, she hoped. Then maybe, just maybe, the healing could begin.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

"We got him," Steve said to Millie, cuddling with her later that day on her bed. Because Don Moore had finally been arrested, Lou didn't have to spend the night, affording Steve and Millie a little personal time.

"Good. What did he say, anything much?" she asked, enjoying the feel of him against her.

"He was exercising his right to remain silent, mostly, but did say something about suing you over Lunkhead."

"Good luck with that."

"That's what Duke said. Ellie said she has a strong case against him, but there's something she still needs from you."

"I know; my witness statement," Millie said. "I've been trying to write it out, but typing with one hand isn't exactly easy."

"No, it's not; I know. That's why Ellie is willing to accept a video statement from you. All you have to do is answer some questions and tell the interviewer what you remember."

"And if I don't remember very much about the attack?"

"As long as you can positively identify Moore as your attacker, that's all that matters," Steve soothed. "The only problem is, it can't be one of us or anyone you know from HPD."

"That's going to be a problem," she mumbled. She yawned, feeling the stress of the day starting to catch up with her.

Then Steve noticed something on her bedside table; a book called _Evil Never Rests_ by David Rossi. "Any good?" he asked, picking up the hardcover and turning it over to see a dark bearded man with dark hair and a charming smile.

Millie nodded. "Rossi's an FBI criminal profiler, and his books make for interesting reading regarding the minds of criminals. That's one of several I have; you can borrow that one if you want."

"Thanks," he said, intending to do just that.

"I wouldn't mind meeting him some day, or at least attending one of his lectures. The stories he could tell..." Millie yawned again, feeling warm and secure, her eyes starting to drift shut. "You might like him; he's a former Marine who served in the Vietnam War and made it to Sergeant Major before retiring from the Corps, and his writing suggests he's a bit of a charmer, much like you."

"Yeah?" he said, grinning in amusement.

"Yeah. Probably why I like you so much." She yawned again. "I always did like a man in uniform."

"Good to know."

She sighed heavily and her breathing began to steady and deepen. In a matter of minutes, she was asleep. Steve waited a few minutes, making sure she was asleep, before carefully extracting himself. He headed for the kitchen, Rossi's book in hand. Susan was there, drinking her coffee.

"She's asleep," Steve said by way of explanation.

"Good; she needs to sleep," Susan said, offering him a cup, but he declined. "I swear that girl pushes herself too hard."

"She feels weak and helpless and I'm guessing she's not used to feeing like that," Steve said.

"No, she's not, and I know she hates feeling like that. She's used to taking care of herself," Susan admitted. "And suddenly she can't even do something as simple as get dressed by herself, or even was her hair. Because of the difficulty she's having just keeping her hair pulled back, she's threatening to have it cut and then letting it grow out during the time it takes to get her cast off."

"Six weeks; that's going to feel like forever for her."

"Plus she'll have to wear a brace for a while, to give her wrist some support until the muscles strengthen. That could take weeks, and trust me, that's going to do a number on her self image."

"Wonderful. Anything I can do to help?"

"You're already doing it," Susan said, smiling. "Just be there, hold her when she needs it, and give her a kick in the ass when she pushes herself too hard. That's all any of us can do."

Later that night, while reading Rossi's book, Steve began to get an idea. Based on what he was reading, Rossi was in Quantico, Virginia, attached to the Behaviour Analysis Unit of the FBI. They had to be at least several hours ahead, and Millie had said she was a fan of Rossi's books. He wondered.

The next morning Steve checked out David Rossi on the table computer. The guy had an impressive record and had been, as Millie had said, a former Sergeant Major Marine. He placed a call, and reached Aaron Hotchner, the unit chief of the BAU, and Rossi's superior.

"I'm Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett, Hawaii Five-0 Taskforce," he said. "I'm trying to reach Agent David Rossi; it's not important, but I'm hoping he can help me."

"_Agent Rossi isn't here at the moment, Commander_," Hotchner said. "_Is this about a case?_"

"Of sorts, yes, but not one that needs profiling," Steve explained. "I'm hoping he can talk to a friend who was the victim of an attack a few days ago. We've arrested the guy who attacked her, but due to the nature of her injuries, writing and typing is going to be difficult for her for a while, which means getting her witness statement is proving to be just as difficult. The good thing is, the D.A. is willing to accept a video statement."

"_Okay, so what's the problem?_"

"The problem is she's one of us and knows at least half the Honolulu police department, which could compromise the statement," Steve said. "She's a fan of Rossi, having read his books, and as a federal profiler, his questioning of her would be admissible in court."

"_What's her name? I'll get in touch with Agent Rossi and see what we can do,_" Hotchner said, curious.

"Millie Susan Thompson, twenty-seven. The attacker's name is Don Moore, and he was arrested yesterday by HPD on a variety of charges, including sexual assault and rape."

"_Was Millie raped?_"

"Thanks to her thirty-pound cat, no," Steve said. He gave Hotchner his cellphone number, who promised to speak to Rossi as soon as possible.

_FBI Headquarters, Quantico, Virginia_:

"Garcia, I need you to run some names for me," Hotchner said to Penelope Garcia, the unit's Technical Analyst.

"Hit me, sir," said Garcia, fingers posed over her keyboard.

"Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett, Hawaii Five-0 Taskforce. Millie Susan Thompson, also with the Five-0 Taskforce. Don Moore. Commander McGarrett said he attacked Thompson and was arrested yesterday by the Honolulu PD," Hotchner said.

"_Got 'em, and can I say Commander McGarrett not only has an impressive record, but also beautiful eyes?_"

Hotchner chuckled. "What's his background?"

"_Six years with the Governor-backed Five-0 Taskforce, based in Honolulu, Annapolis graduate, five years Naval Intelligence, six years as a SEAL, on reserve for the last six years while he's with the Taskforce, he's good, and from what I'm reading here, he's taken down some pretty big names_," said Garcia, studying McGarrett's file. "_Numerous arrests to his name, numerous commendations... He's a good guy with a good team. Millie Thompson is definitely part of that team and... Oh my lord_," Garcia breathed.

"Bad?"

"_The poor woman, she's so pretty and this, this bastard, he attacked her just because she told him off for hitting on a teenage girl,_" Garcia said. Then she started laughing. "_That is a big, beautiful kitty!_"

"You found Millie's cat?"

"_This absolutely gorgeous ball of fur put the hurt on Don Moore big time_," Garcia said, "_and I mean big. I'll bring you the files because, believe me, sir, this makes for interesting reading_."

"Thank you, Garcia," said Hotchner.

A short while later, Hotchner brought the files to Rossi, who glanced over them as Hotchner explained the call he'd gotten from Steve McGarrett.

"Honolulu, huh?" Rossi said, studying Millie Thompson's photograph. She was a pretty woman, and this Five-0 Taskforce had an impressive record. It might do some good to have a contact or a friend with them. "Why not? My publisher has been nagging at me to do a lecture there, and having a contact or two in Hawaii wouldn't hurt."

Hotchner gave him Steve's cellphone number, and he dialled it.

"_McGarrett_," said a male voice.

"Commander McGarrett, this is David Rossi, FBI Behaviour Analysis Unit. I understand you tried to reach me earlier regarding Millie Thompson."

"_That's right. Thank you for returning my call_."

"How is Millie doing in light of the attack?"

"_She says she's doing okay, but I know she blames herself for the attack_."

"Why?"

"_To quote her, she put herself in the line of fire without knowing how to fight back. If it hadn't been for her cat, there is a very good chance she would have been beaten to death._"

"Why do you want me to talk to her? Doesn't she trust you?"

"_She does, but in order for the statement to stand up in court, it can't be one of us that takes her statement,_" Steve explained. "_Compromising matters, Millie is known by about half the Honolulu PD. She's read your books and your file says you have an excellent track record with getting victims to talk to you, and Millie needs to talk; it's the only way she's going to start healing._" Steve sighed heavily. "_I know I'm asking a lot, but Millie is o'hana, family, and I'm desperate_."

Rossi pulled his day planner towards him, already mentally calculating how long it would take for him to get to Honolulu.

"I can be there within a day and I'll hang around for a day or two, give a lecture or two to keep my publisher happy," he said. "I'll want to see her office, the site of the attack, anything you can provide me with, so I can get an idea of whom I'm dealing with."

Steve's sigh of relief was audible. _"Thank you. Thank you very much. Do you need me to book you a place to stay or anything like that?_" Steve asked.

"Don't worry; I'll take care of that. I'll call you when I'm about to depart, and I may not be alone," he said, thinking about the possibility of bringing Penelope Garcia with him. She had a bright, bubbly personality and from what he was reading of Millie's file, the two women would likely get along well, which could help with the interview.

"_I'll be waiting,_" said Steve, ending the call.

"Who are you thinking of bringing with you?" Hotchner asked.

"Garcia; based on what I'm reading here, Millie Thompson is nobody's fool, but she does have a kind, caring personality, and the two may get along well," Rossi said. "Plus, it wouldn't hurt to have a friend with this Taskforce."

"There is that. All right; I'll authorize it for Garcia. Let her know and send me your itinerary once you know," Hotchner said.

"Will do," said Rossi, picking up his phone to call Garcia. This was going to be an interesting trip.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

It was a ten hour flight for Rossi and Garcia, who landed in the early hours of the morning at Honolulu International Airport. Waiting for them at the arrival gate was Steve, who had not told Millie about the guests. Everyone else knew, but the plan was to surprise Millie, catch her off-guard.

Yesterday Millie had confessed that her offer on a two-bedroom house had been accepted, pending her requested inspections. The first inspection would be by a house inspector, and the second inspection would be by the team. They would be doing that later that day, while Rossi and Garcia rested from their flight.

"Welcome to O'ahu," Steve said. "Thank you for coming on such short notice."

"It's our pleasure, Commander," Rossi said, accepting Steve's handshake. "This is Technical Analyst Penelope Garcia. I've never heard of your taskforce before, so this seems as good a time as any."

"Please, call me Steve. I've got a good team; you can meet the others, and Millie later," Steve said, shaking Penelope's hand.

"You have reached the office of the Goddess of All Knowledge. I am currently away from my all-seeing instruments and am in wonderful, beautiful O'ahu; you have been warned. Speak, oh mortal," Garcia said, answering her ringing cellphone, which had suddenly begun playing _I'm Too Sexy_ by Right Said Fred.

Derek Morgan laughed. "_How's it going, Goddess?_"

"Oh I am having fun, mon amour; I see nothing but beauty all around me, and not just the land," Garcia said, watching a tanned, muscular, very good-looking Hawaiian native go by.

"_Should I be jealous, baby girl?_" Morgan teased.

"You are a chocolate sculpted god who will always have my heart, cœur de mon cœur, which you very well know, but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate art from another land," Garcia shot back.

"_True, true. Any chance I could get you to do me a favour if you're near a computer?_"

"I am not and I will not," Garcia said. "I am here to help a poor lost soul, not pull a miracle out of my gorgeous blonde locks."

"_I thought you were the goddess of All Knowledge_," Morgan teased, already making plans to call another technical analyst.

"Who is kicking your sculpted ass to the department of Not My Frigging Problem," Garcia shot back.

Morgan laughed. "_Okay. Have fun, momma, and go easy on the Blue Hawaiians_."

Satisfied, Garcia thumbed off her cellphone and smiled. Then she glanced up at Rossi and Steve; Rossi was grinning, used to the banter between her and Morgan, while Steve was staring at her, eyes a bit wide, clearly indicating he wasn't sure what to make of the conversation, which had been on speaker.

"I'm gonna go get my bag," Garcia said, moving quickly despite her heels.

"That was Supervisory Special Agent Derek Morgan, attached to the BAU," Rossi explained, following her, Steve beside him. "Those two have been doing that for years, but neither are involved in each other. Garcia isn't just a Technical Analyst; she's also a hacker, and one of the best in the game, but she also has a big heart. Based on what I read about Millie, I think those two will get along just fine, and that will help Millie relax, which will make the interview easier for her."

"I appreciate that. I can give you access to her office at Headquarters, but not the site of the attack."

"Why not, if you don't mind my asking," Garcia said, rejoining them.

"Because the site of the attack was Millie's apartment," Steve explained. "When she got out of the hospital, I took her back to her apartment to get some things to take to a safe house, and Millie couldn't handle the emotional trauma, knowing that her home, what should have been a safe place for her, had nearly been the site of her death. Moore had been firmly intent on beating her to death that night. It was only because of her cat, Lunkhead, who attacked Moore, that she got away."

"Oh no," Garcia breathed.

"I called in a few favours and got Millie's entire apartment packed up and put in storage until she could find another place, which she seems to have done," Steve said. "She told us yesterday she'd put in an offer on a house about ten minutes from Headquarters. The inspection is today, and my partner's daughter, Grace, will be joining us. It seems the house has a treehouse in the yard and Millie wants Grace's opinion."

"You seem close," Rossi said.

Steve smiled, leading them to his truck. "Yeah, yeah we're close. Millie serves as our administrative assistant and courthouse researcher. She's also helped us out in the field, which has proven to be an advantage on several occasions, because she's never been formally trained as a cop or any other armed forces, not even by any of the three-letter branches. She knows how to shoot, and owns a gun only because the deal is if she wears a badge, she has to have a gun, which she doesn't care for. Truth is, the most violent I've ever seen her get is when she introduced a board to a suspect's face, baseball bat-style."

"My kind of girl," said Garcia, getting into the truck with a bit of help from Rossi.

"She's o'hana," Steve explained, getting in himself. "That means she looks out for us just as much as we look out for her and each other."

The roads were quiet in the early hours of the morning, giving Rossi and Garcia time to look at their surroundings.

Steve kindly stopped at a drive-thru that served coffee and got Rossi and Garcia a cup, before continuing on to the Hinton Hotel, where they would be staying for the duration.

"How did you find out about the attack?" Rossi asked.

"I was on the phone with her when it happened," Steve admitted. "I had called her because I needed something from her office and she was already on her way home. We were talking about weekend plans when she said she saw this guy pull into her parking lot, the same guy she'd told off earlier at a gas station, for making unwanted sexual advances at a sixteen year-old cashier. I heard her tell Moore that he had to leave, and then I heard him hit her. She screamed for me, I heard a crashing noise, and the line went dead."

Feeling a surge of memories and emotions, Steve suddenly pulled into an empty parking lot, breathing hard. He felt Garcia put her hand on his shoulder in support and sympathy.

"This isn't the first time, is it? That you've heard that kind of call," Rossi guessed.

Steve chuckled wryly. "You're good, and you're right. It's actually the second time. The first time was when Victor Heese murdered my father in retaliation for me unintentionally killing his brother, whom I had captured after spending five years chasing after them. I can still hear the shot, and it's been six years." He stared at nothing, remembering. "It was because of my father's death that Five-0 was formed, by will of Governor Jameson, with my rules and her backing."

"From what I've read, you guys have done a lot of good since," Garcia said. "Did you really drop a tear gas canister into a suspect's house by way of the skylight?"

Steve chuckled. "Yeah, I did. The suspect had barricaded himself in the house, with no easy means of access, and I had just gotten back from SEAL training, so the tear gas canister seemed like a good idea at the time, and safer than trying to storm the place, considering the closeness of the houses on either side."

"Smart," said Rossi.

Then Steve's phone rang. It was Millie.

"Morning, Nani," he said, putting his cellphone on speaker so Rossi and Garcia could hear the conversation. "You sleep okay?"

"_Morning, Koa. About as well as can be expected, considering I had a thirty-pound cat stealing my pillow again,_" said Millie.

"What's up?" he asked, smiling.

"_I got a call from Jacobs, one of the A.D.A's, late last night_," Millie said. She groaned softly.

"Okay, what did he want and why was he calling you late at night?"

"_Couple of things. One, to remind me to remind you that he still needs a proper statement regarding you, Randal Marshal, and a glass door_."

"That was not my fault," Steve protested. "The guy decided to run and had me and Danny chasing him for about half a block."

"_Right. And you just happened to tackle him through the glass door, as opposed to, say, a fruit stand._"

"If he had stopped when he was told, I wouldn't have had to tackle him," Steve shot back.

"_Which is what I told Jacobs_," Millie said. "_He still needs the statement and I told him I'd pass it on to you when I got the chance. I also reminded him, yet again, that I am on vacation and that my cellphone is my private number, and if he has a problem with you guys, call Headquarters, not me, especially not at that time of night!_"

"I could have a chat with him later, if you'd like," Steve offered.

"_Meh, I don't think that'll be a problem. I was planning to give Ellie a call later. She can handle that moron_."

"What else did he want?"

"_A date_," Millie said sourly. "_I told him no, that I was seeing someone. He asked who, and I told him your name was None of Your Freaking Business_."

"Nice."

"_Ah, I've been wanting to use that line for a while, and it felt good,_" Millie said, laughter in her voice.

"I'll bet. Are you still up for the inspections today?"

"_Oh I am, believe me, I am. That was actually the other reason I was calling, to remind you to remind the others._"

"How'd you know I'd be awake by now?"

"_I know you. At this time of morning you're doing one of several things; visiting Odell for a shave or a haircut, swimming, or running, and since you answered so fast, say hi to Odell for me._"

Steve chuckled, pulling into the Hinton Hotel. "I will. I've got to go, so I'll see you later, okay?"

"_Will do. E malu 'oe,_" she said.

"Always, sweetheart, always," and he hung up.

"Okay, couple of questions," Rossi said.

"Shoot," Steve said, helping Garcia unload her bag.

"E malu 'oe; what does that mean?" Rossi asked.

"It means 'be safe' in Hawaiian," Steve said.

"Koa and Nani?"

"Koa means 'warrior', which is what Millie calls me in private. Nani means 'beautiful', which is what I've been calling her for a while. Some of the HPD, the ones who know her, call her Radar, because she's got a radar-like sense for spotting trouble," Steve explained. "She acquired that nickname long before she joined us. Chin, one of my team members, calls her Kaikuahine, which means 'little sister', which is how the majority of the team sees her as, all though Danny has called her several rude things on a few occasions, especially when she goes after him over his paperwork and his handwriting." He chuckled at a memory. "He got a little indignant when he found out her ringtone for him was the _Muppet Show_ theme song."

"She's got a sense of humor," said Garcia.

"She needs it with this job," Steve said.

At the front desk, Garcia and Rossi checked in and got their room numbers. Then, promising to call Steve later, they headed for their rooms, while Steve headed for Headquarters to officially start his day.

Later that day, the house inspector gave the pass on the two-bedroom house Millie was looking at.

"He said there's some minor wiring and plumbing issues, and the roof could use a look-see, but the foundation appears solid, and he's not seeing any asbestos or major structural issues," Millie told Steve later, as he went over the report.

"That's good. Now it's our turn, right?" he said, thinking she looked pretty today, in a denim gore and godet skirt that came to her knees, a green shell tank, a white lacy crochet cardigan, and brown leather flats. She also looked tired.

"Are you sleeping okay?" he asked, concerned.

"Nightmares," she admitted. "Plus my muscles are at the stage where they don't hurt as much, but they do ache, making getting comfortable at night a bit difficult, and I'm trying to lay off on the painkillers."

"Have you ever thought about soaking in a hot tub?" he suggested. "One of the local gyms should have one, and membership usually isn't too bad."

"Or I could invest in one myself, especially with the way this place is going. Make sure it's big enough for the whole team plus extra," she said.

"That would be nice," he said, grinning. "That would give me an excuse to come over more often."

"I ain't stupid, boy, and you know it," she said, watching as Grace explored the treehouse. "What do you think, Gracie? Good enough for you?" she called.

"It's cool!" Grace called back. "Are you really gonna buy this house?"

"I'm seriously considering it, pending the final inspection from everyone else," Millie said. They rejoined the team in the living room, which opened up to the dining room and the kitchen area, with a beautiful sunroom. "All right, verdict?" she asked.

"The walls are solid. If a bullet comes through, it's not going to go very far," said Chin. "Same with the floors."

"The layout is nice and simple; might want to check the window frames, but they're a good size," said Lou.

"It's a nice house and it has potential, especially in the yard," Kono said. "You could easily plant some flowers or herbs, and I think Lunkhead would be happy here, because the house backs on to a park."

"Danny?" Millie asked.

"It's solid. Not far from Headquarters, but far enough away you don't feel like you're in the city," Danny said. "I was chatting up the neighbour next door and she said this is a fairly quiet area. Us being around, as cops, would be welcome, and it would be nice to have someone in the house again. She's curious about you, seeing all your lumps and thumps, but I assured her you're mouthy but nice."

"Gee thanks. I love you too," Millie shot back, eliciting laughter from the group.

"It's a nice house," Susan said. "You could do a lot here, make it your own."

Millie nodded, already seeing color choices on the walls and plants in her garden. "Okay, I'll call the agent. With my luck, this place will be mine by next week."

"I'll bring the beer," said Lou.

"No you won't; you'll bring the muscle. I have a busted arm, remember?" Millie said. "But it's worth a steak if you do."

"Now that I can do," Lou said.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

Millie stared at Rossi, not believing her eyes. Steve had just taken her to the Hinton Hotel, saying there was someone he wanted her to meet. She had just signed the papers that would make her the proud owner of a two-bedroom house that was once the site of a murder, a case that had gone unsolved for almost a year.

"How?" she asked Steve.

"I made a few phone calls," Steve said. "He offered to come and he brought a friend with him."

"I'm Penelope Garcia," Garcia said, approaching Millie and offering a bright, friendly smile. "I'm the Technical Analyst for Rossi and the BAU."

"Nice to meet you," Millie said, not quite sure what to make of Garcia, or the fact that a well-respected author was actually meeting with her. "Steve, what's going on?"

"Do you remember what I said about that video statement?" Steve asked.

"Yeah."

"David and Penelope have agreed to help you with that. David will be conducting the interview and will be asking you the same questions the D.A. and the defense would ask you in court. You know yourself that David has a lot of experience in that field," Steve said. "I spoke to Ellie; because it's David, who is a respected FBI profiler, him doing the interview would be accepted in court, because he would be considered an expert in his field."

"You're serious."

"As a live grenade," he said. "The camera has already been set up, and so has the room. All you have to do is talk."

"What about you? Will you be there?"

"No, I can't. If I am, there's a risk of the defense accusing the prosecution of doctoring the video or my coaching you. The only people who will be in that room are David and Penelope. David will be conducting the interview and Penelope will be providing support if you need it," Steve said.

"I know this isn't going to be easy," Garcia said. "And I know what it's like trying to talk about something like that. I had to talk about a man who shot me in the stomach, a man I thought liked me, but actually thought I was in his way of a series of hero-complex-type murders."

"Nightmares?" Millie asked.

"For weeks afterwards," Garcia admitted. "But I found that once I talked about it, the nightmares got easier to deal with." She reached out and put a hand on Millie's arm. "The nightmares will get better with time. From what your friends are telling us, you're an incredibly brave, beautiful person who tried to do the right thing. Now, let us help you do the right thing one more time."

Millie glanced at Steve, who smiled reassuringly at her.

"Go; you'll be okay," he promised, squeezing her hand tightly. "When you're done, call me, and I'll take you anywhere you want to go after this."

Millie bit her lip, but nodded, and allowed Garcia to lead her to the room they would be using for the interview, which was Rossi's room. A video camera with a remote had been set up in one corner, and three chairs had been strategically placed around the camera, with Millie as the focus.

Once Millie was comfortable in her chair, with Garcia seated beside her but out of view of the camera, Rossi sat across from her and turned on the camera.

He said the day's date, time, and the location of the interview.

"I'm Senior Supervisory Agent David Rossi, with the Behavior Analysis Unit of the FBI, based in Quantico, Virginia. With me I have Technical Analyst Penelope Garcia, also attached to the BAU of the FBI. I will be interviewing Millie Thompson, of the Five-0 Taskforce, located in Honolulu, O'ahu, about her attack." He stated the day of the attack.

"Let's start at the beginning," he said, turning his attention to Millie. "When was the first time you met Don Moore?"

"At a gas station, where I had stopped to fill up my Jeep," Millie said. "I went in to pay and he was there, saying things to Donna, the cashier, like how they could have fun later, wanting to know her bra size, did she have a boyfriend or did she want a man-friend."

"How did that make you feel?" Rossi asked.

"Sick, just sick that this poor girl, not even out of high school, had to put up with his sick advances. She was alone, too, with no real back-up," Millie said.

"What did you do?"

"I was behind him and I told him off. I got between him and Donna and told him to shut his trap, get his perverted brain out of his pants, pay, and leave, now. I said Donna was old enough to be his daughter and he should be ashamed of himself for making unwanted sexual advances at a teenage girl who was just trying to do her job."

"Did he leave?"

"After calling me a bitch, yes."

"Then what?"

"I spoke to Donna, showed her my badge, and gave her my card. I told her that if he ever caused her problems again, she was to call me and I would go after him again."

"Okay. Did you go anywhere after that?"

"Yeah. I stopped at a jewelry store to put some money on a layaway I have, went to an office supply store to pick up a few things for my office, picked up some non-perishables at a grocery store, then headed for home."

"Did you see him following you?"

"I wasn't looking for him, so no, I didn't see him. I wasn't expecting trouble."

"Okay. I have a statement from Commander Steve McGarrett that says he was talking to you on your phone when you saw Don Moore again."

"That's correct, yes."

"Tell me about that."

"Steve had called me, needing something from my filing cabinet in my office. I told him where to find the key and we started discussing our weekend plans. He was offering to take me hiking at one of the state parks. Then I saw Don Moore's truck pulling into my apartment parking lot and I told Steve what was going on and that I had encountered him earlier. I told him I was nervous, that I had a bad feeling about things. Steve told me to get inside and stay on the line."

"Did you?"

"Yes. Then he approached me. I was unlocking my door and I told him he had to leave, that I had nothing to say to him. I tried to shut my door, but he said, 'Get back here, bitch' and hit me. I remember crying out in pain, and he said something about teaching me a lesson. I think he kicked the door open, and I remember screaming for Steve again." Millie bit her lip, memories drifting through her mind. "I think he hit me again, but after that, things get a bit blurry."

Garcia reached for her hand, seeing the sheen of tears forming. "I got you, sweetie. You hold on to me as tightly as you want; I'm not going anywhere."

Millie nodded, biting her knuckle, grateful for Garcia's kindness and support.

"What do you remember after that?" Rossi asked.

"Bits and pieces. I remember pain, but I can't remember where it comes from. I remember wondering if I was going to die, and wondering if Steve would get there in time." She swallowed hard, tears sliding down her face. "I remember hearing screaming that wasn't mine and then the weight on my chest was gone. I remember hearing someone yell 'run, now!' and feeling someone pull me up. I remember trying to reach my bedroom, where I kept my back-up gun, trying to push my dresser against the door, and then collapsing on my bed."

"Do you remember Commander McGarrett and Detective Williams coming into the room?" Rossi asked.

"Vaguely. All I really remember is the pain and worrying about Lunkhead. I was afraid he'd gotten hurt."

"Who's Lunkhead?"

"A big black and brown former stray I took in a few years ago, during a storm. He weighs about thirty pounds and won't touch canned cat food. Because of him, I either go fishing or visit the fish market on a regular basis," Millie said, taking a shuddering breath and wiping her eyes. "I remember seeing Duke, and I remember feeling Steve pick me up. I remember feeling safe, because if they were there, then my attacker couldn't hurt me again. Beyond that, it's just bits and pieces."

"Tell me about those bits and pieces," Rossi said. "And who is Duke?"

"Sergeant Duke Lukela; he's a friend and a liaison between us and HPD," Millie explained. "Steve said he ran into him when he was running out the door and he came with."

"Okay."

"I remember the ambulance but it's more light and sound than anything solid. I remember telling Steve to tell Danny my cellphone access code, so he could call my parents, and I remember holding on to Steve's hand because it was the only thing that seemed solid and real at that moment."

"Do you remember him talking to you?"

"Yes. His voice kept calling me back, even though I wanted to sleep. I think I did, because the next thing I remember is feeling a weight on my arm and wanting ice. After that, things get a bit clearer, but in spurts. I remember seeing my mom and I remember talking to her."

"Okay. Now, I'm going to show you a picture and I need you to identify this person. Will you do that for me?" Rossi asked.

"Okay."

Rossi pulled out Don Moore's mugshot from before his attack. "Is this your attacker?"

Millie stared long and hard at the picture and then nodded, tears starting to slip down her face again. "Yeah, that's the bastard that attacked me," she said. "Pen, please." Garcia gave her a pen and she carefully wrote on the border of the picture, "This is the man who attacked me because I stood up to him. Millie S. Thompson."

"I have a question, if you don't mind," Garcia said.

"Okay."

"You said you heard someone tell you to get up and run, that you felt someone pull you up," Garcia said.

"That's right."

"How is that possible? I thought it was just you and your attacker."

Millie sighed. "I've given that a lot of thought," she admitted. "I've also heard a lot of stories. You see, I've been an administrative assistant for two different police departments since I was eighteen. People talk and I listen." Both Garcia and Rossi nodded. "One of the stories I've heard often was the feeling or hearing of someone else during a life or death situation, when that person was sure they were going to die. Sometimes it was someone they loved who had passed on before, maybe a close friend or former partner. Whoever it is, the person always says they heard that person clearly, or felt someone touch them as clear as day."

"Do you think that's what happened to you?" Rossi asked.

Millie smiled sadly. "About a month before I moved to Honolulu, I lost my boyfriend of a year to a drunk driver. He was a third-year rookie with the Portland police department, and he and his training partner had stopped a vehicle for a simple plate and light issue. He got his partner out of the way, but was hit, himself, at over a hundred kilometres an hour. That was the same day he was going to ask me to marry him."

"Oh honey," Garcia breathed.

"A week later, on the day of his funeral, my gram died. I lost two people I loved in a week," Millie said. "I don't know who it was I heard or felt that night, but I can't help but wish, maybe hope, it was both of them, trying to help me one more time."

"It's possible," Rossi said. "I've been a profiler for a lot of years, and I was a Marine as well. One thing I've learned is that there are some things rational science can't always explain." Rossi mentally steeled himself; his next set of questions weren't going to be nice, but they were necessary. "Now, when you confronted Moore the first time, what were you thinking? Were you actively trying to defend the cashier, or did you think that having a badge gave you the right to go after anyone and everyone, even when it was really none of your business? Did you even stop to think he might not appreciate your attitude? That you might be putting yourself or the cashier at risk because you interfered in what was technically none of your business? After all, what's a little harmless flirting? We do it all the time and no one gets hurt."

He watched as Millie's eyes went cold. _Bingo_, he thought.

"Let me explain a little something to you, Agent Rossi," Millie said quietly. "Yes, I wear a badge. Yes, I have a gun that I occasionally carry. Yes, I am a member of the Five-0 Taskforce. But even if I wasn't a member of one of the best taskforces on O'ahu, that is not going to stop me from trying to help and defend others. All that badge does is make me want to try harder to help others, to reach more, that I might not be able to do without that badge."

"What about the cashier? Surely she didn't need your help," Rossi said.

"Did you know that at least half of reported sexual assaults could have been prevented if someone who had seen or heard something stood up and did something?" Millie shot back. "She was a teenage girl being hit on by a man in his thirties, for crying out loud! And if he had said to me what he said to her, I would have either dumped my drink in his lap or slapped him! Badge or no badge, you're damn right I'm going to interfere, and I will gladly do it again! I may not know how to fight the way my team members do, but that's not going to stop me from trying or learning! In my eyes, buster, walking away from someone being sexually harassed is just as bad as walking away from someone being raped! Asking a girl about her bra size is the same thing as me asking a teenage boy about the length of his penis when he's got a hard-on, neither of which are acceptable questions for an older adult to be asking a sixteen year-old teenager, much less anyone else!"

Rossi's eyes had gone a little wide as he tried not to laugh, and he could see Garica doing the same.

"Ma'am, I do believe it's fair to say that you've made your point," Rossi said.

"I hope so," Millie said. "Donna is a good kid, who is working to help support her family. She didn't deserve Moore's behavior, and she didn't need it. I didn't deserve to be attacked by him, but I was. However, that doesn't mean I'm going to stop trying to help others in Donna's position. It just means I'm going to make sure I can defend both myself and the person I'm trying to protect, better, next time, because as long as I wear my badge, there will always be a next time. Don Moore wants to try going after another girl again? I'll be waiting."

"I'm glad to hear that, and I think that concludes this interview," Rossi said, pushing a button on the remote that stopped the camera from recording.

Garcia reached over and hugged Millie tightly. "I'm so proud of you. You've got a lot of courage, sweetie. Don't ever back down from guys like him, ever."

"I don't feel very brave, just terrified," Millie admitted.

"Do you know what John Wayne once said about courage?" Rossi asked.

"What?"

"Courage is about being scared to death, and saddling up anyway," Rossi said.

"Then saddle up, partner," Millie said, suddenly feeling tired.


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

An eight-person hot tub would be delivered to her house within the next day or so. An electrician and plumber would be coming by to check the wiring and pipes, and Millie wanted someone to check out the panel in the floor of her pantry, the same panel Grace had spotted on her last visit there. Oh, and she still had to get everything unpacked.

"Good thing I still have another week left of my vacation left," she said to Steve, running her hand through her now-short hair.

After the interview with David Rossi and Penelope Garcia, Garcia had ganged up on her. The end result was a spa-treatment and haircut that would make washing and styling Millie's hair easier with one working hand. Her once bra-band-length hair had been cut to a stylish chin-length bob that let her still use headbands and clips but keep it tidy with little effort.

When Garcia finally departed back to Quantico, she had earned herself the nickname Kala, meaning _Star_, and made a friend out of Millie, who promised regular emails.

As for Susan, she went back to Portland the day after Millie officially took possession of her house, assured by both Steve and Millie that Millie would be okay.

"You can take more time if you need it," Steve said.

"I take any more time off I'm going to go crazy with boredom," Millie shot back, watching as Lou and Chin finished setting up her bedframe so she had a place to sleep that night. Lunkhead was in the living room, perched on his cat tree, watching the going-on's with a close eye, tail twitching every now and then.

"Have you found a priest willing to do the blessing on the house yet?" he asked her.

"Yeah. Nice guy. He'll be over on the weekend," Millie said. "I explained the situation to him and he assured me this won't be a problem."

"You're gonna need a barbeque too," Lou said.

"Me, or you?" Millie shot back.

"Call it payment for services rendered," Lou said.

"I call it a lot of things, some of it rude," Millie said. "I'll see what I can do."

Danny came into the room, holding some of her books. "You like the paranormal, huh?"

"Yup. I also like the t.v. show _Science of Stupid_, _Forever_, the _Mack Bolan_ series, and the off-shoot series, _Stony Man_. When I want a good giggle, I'll watch _The Muppet Show_. Oh, and when I'm absolutely bored out of my skull, I'll watch the _Looney Toons_ classics. Plus I'm picking up a few courses at Honolulu Community College," Millie said. "Anything else?"

"What are you studying?" Steve asked.

"A few courses in the _Administration of Justice_ program," Millie said. "I've got to attend a few lectures during the week, but it's mostly for learning and expanding my job knowledge." She held up her good hand and ticked off her fingers as she tried to remember what courses she was taking. "_Introduction to Terrorism, Introduction to Criminology, Rules of Evidence,_ and_ Introduction to Criminal Law_, I think. Plus one or two others I can't remember off the top of my head."

"You're going to be busy," Steve said.

"Good thing I'm not taking the courses all at once," Millie admitted. "HCC is giving me some leeway because of my job, which is nice. And HSPCA is letting me help out next week with their Adopt-a-thon, but I'm on restricted duty."

"So no dog washing?" Chin asked.

"Nope. The best they'll let me do is cuddle with the kitties, which is my favorite thing to do anyway," Millie said shrugging. "Can't even do face painting, not with a busted wrist. Oh well."

Then Kono stuck her head in the room, looking a bit rattled. "Did you guys happen to see an old guy go by?" she asked.

Everyone shook their head.

"You okay?" Chin asked.

"I was putting some stuff away in the kitchen and I thought I saw an old guy in the kitchen window reflection," Kono admitted. "Turned around and there was no one there."

"What did you feel?" Millie asked.

"Creeped out," Kono admitted. "I just checked the yard and the rest of the house; no one here but us."

"Maybe the previous owner, Mr. Iwa, decided to pop in," Chin teased.

"The faster I get that priest here to do a blessing, the better," Millie muttered.

Two days later, Steve stopped by. Millie had made progress on her house, getting things put away that could be put away, while an electrician poked around.

"Hey big guy," Millie said, accepting his kiss.

"Hey beautiful," he replied, keeping his arms around her waist as he leaned against her kitchen table. "How's it going?"

"That's Shaun, a licensed electrician, and he's checking the wiring. So far, it's not too bad," Millie said, brushing a lock of his hair back in place with her fingers. "Couple of switches need to be replaced and he's going to check the breaker to make sure it's up to code."

"That's good. What about that panel in the pantry floor?"

"I've got someone coming over in a short bit to look at it," Millie said. "Might be something, might be nothing. Shaun's also going to check the wiring in the garage."

"Good idea. Any idea what you're going to do with it?"

"Keep it tidy, make sure Blackbird and whoever is visiting can park easily."

"Do me a favour?"

"Sure."

"A container of gas or some other flammable liquid, some glass bottles, cotton fabric that can be torn to strips, and matches or a lighter," Steve said.

"You're talking about the makings of a Molotov cocktail," Millie said. "You do know the ATF considers them illegal, right?"

"They're very good for distractions, and it wouldn't be the first time," he said, shrugging.

"Right. I'll put together a bin just for that and label it with an explosive sign, just in case," she said sarcastically, making him chuckle in amusement. "What else do you want in the garage?"

"Flashlights with extra batteries, rope or zip ties, and a well-stocked First Aid kit?" he asked hopefully.

"See what I can do," she said, already planning to call Doctor Mindy Shaw... again. "Anything else?"

"Yeah; a date."

"A date?"

"A proper date," he said. "As in we go out for dinner, maybe catch a movie, date."

The idea appealed to Millie. "Okay, sure. When?"

"Tonight? Pick you up at seven. Sunday casual," he suggested, already planning a beach barbecue at his place, followed by a slow seduction that was guaranteed to make her burn. It had been advice from David Rossi, who understood that victims like Millie sometimes needed to be reminded of the fact that, bruises or no bruises, they were still beautiful. Millie was a woman; she needed to be reminded of that.

"I can do that," she said, wondering what he was up to. At her quizzical look, he just smiled. "You're up to something."

"I'm always up to something," he said, grinning.

"Uh-huh."

"Ma'am?" Shaun said politely.

"Yup?" Millie said, dragging her eyes away from Steve.

"I found something odd," he said. "Wiring that's about fifty, maybe sixty years old. Real knob and tube stuff."

"That's old," Steve said. "Where does it lead to?"

"That's what I can't figure out. The notion on the breaker says 'bunker', but this place doesn't look like it has a bunker," Shaun said.

"As far as I know, it shouldn't," Millie said. "Although..."

"That panel in the pantry," Steve said, catching on. "It's the right size for a basement bunker, and after the Pearl Harbour attack, there was a big bomb scare going around."

"If that's the case, then if it's still structurally sound, it could be used as a storm shelter," Millie said. Her eyebrow twitch said the rest of her thought; and a hiding place.

"Let's have a look at that panel," Steve said, reluctantly letting his girlfriend go.

They headed for the kitchen and the walk-in pantry. On the floor, near the back, was the panel. Steve took out his pocket knife and used the tip to find the exact edge of the panel. Along the way, he found the recessed handle. Shaun brought out a crowbar and with a little muscle, the two men were able to lift the panel up.

Stale air and darkness greeted them.

"This thing hasn't been opened in years," Steve said. He accepted the flashlight Millie handed him and peered cautiously into the darkness. Seeing steps leading down, he descended them carefully, not sure of what he was going to find.

What he found was a time capsule. A switch turned on the lights, revealing a small kitchenette, two sets of bunk beds with privacy curtains, a small living room area, and a door that looked like it led to a generator room and a small bathroom. The decor was right out of the 1940's. The cabinets still had plates and cups, the beds were made, and there was a bookcase full of books and magazines.  
Shaun and Millie joined him cautiously, with Shaun's eyes going wide.

"My grandpa used to tell me stories about these places, but I never thought I'd ever see one as intact as this place is!" he said.

Steve thumped the wall. It was solid. "I'm not seeing any sign of asbestos," he said, poking around. "What do you make of the generator?" he asked Shaun.

Shaun took a look at it. "Old, definitely, but barely even used, based upon the lack of oil stains and the amount of dust I'm seeing. It might work, but I wouldn't risk it," he said after a moment. "Something like this belongs in a museum."

"If you upgrade the wiring, can this place be used as a shelter?" Steve asked, already thinks of things like witness protection and weapon storage.

"Sure," Shaun said, shrugging. "Just a matter of replacing the wires and upgrading the breaker. I wouldn't recommend using the generator, though."

"Easy to replace," Millie said, joining them. "Pull the wires that connected the generator to the whatever it is in here, and re-label the word '_bunker_' with '_garage two_'. Will that be a problem?" she asked Shaun.

"No ma'am. It'll be extra, but it'll be done. I'm going to need some muscle to get that generator out, though," Shaun said.

"I'll make a few calls. You just say when," Millie said.

"Sure thing. You also might want to have the wall paint tested for lead. Any homes built before 1978 can have lead in their paint and kids are pretty susceptible to lead poisoning," Shaun said.

"Charming," Millie groused, heading back up the stairs. The plumber was going to love her. And who the hell did she call about removing lead-based paint?

Shaun left shortly afterwards, promising to be back the next day with the necessary materials to make the repairs. Steve also left, promising to pick her up at seven, leaving her with a few hours to kill.

She was worried about Lunkhead. That damn fool cat of hers had started wandering again, to the point she'd left her back yard gate open just enough for him to come and go as he pleased. But that had been yesterday evening, and he still wasn't back yet. With a cast on his back leg, he wouldn't be able to go very far, or at least that was the general theory.

She hoped he was okay; despite all the names she called him, she was genuinely fond of the feline.

At seven, Steve was right outside her house, just as he promised. She had elected to wear a pretty floral Hawaiian-print sundress that was easy to get on and off, sandals, and a lace shawl in case the evening got a bit cool.

He took her to his place and, already set up, was a barbeque and setting for two, complete with a bottle of wine, on his beach. It turned out Steve wasn't a bad cook himself, doing up a nice shish kebab with vegetables, pineapple, and beef.

The whole thing was relaxing and nice. If this was Steve's idea of a real date, Millie thought, stretching out on the blanket he'd put on the sand, then she was doing this more often.

Then he started kissing her. And the heat started building.

Millie moaned as Steve's lips found her neck. "This is nice," she said.

"It can be even nicer," he said, working along her jaw.

"I'm sure. Cast, though?" she said, fighting the temptation to return the favour and give in to the ache that was building inside.

"Only a problem if you let it," he replied, running his hand up her leg and under her dress, liking how her skin felt. He propped himself up on one elbow and smiled down at her, watching as she blushed.

"Are you sure?" she asked tentatively, letting herself run her fingers across his face.

He rolled slightly, capturing one of her thighs between his legs. "Feel that?" he asked. When she nodded, feeling the pressure and weight of a tell-tale sign below his belt-line, he continued. "I want you. It's that simple. I want you to feel good and I want to be the one to make you feel that way."

Millie looked at him, liking the way he felt against her. He could make her feel good; his kisses were plenty proof of that. And the way his hands felt against her skin... _Oh, what the hell_.

She reached up and pulled him down for a kiss. "Then have at it, Navy boy. I want to feel good, and I want you to show me that. I don't care if it's here, on your couch, or in your room, but I want you."

He smiled down at her, thinking he was glad he'd prepped his bed and nightstand, just in case. It was going to be a long, hot, night.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

It was a long night for them, and just as he had promised himself, Steve made Millie burn. She had taken a few lovers since Hugh, but none had been serious, and very few had made her feel as good as Steve did that night and the next morning. She swore that, first chance she got, she'd return the favour in ways he could only dream of, which left him dreaming of a lot of different ways.

When Steve went in to work the next day, even Danny noticed the smile he couldn't keep off his face.

You and Millie finally got it together," Danny said.

"Got what together?" Steve asked, playing innocent.

"Oh come on, man!" Danny snapped. "You and Millie have been dancing around each other from the day she set up shop! We've all noticed it and we've all been taking bets as to how long it would take before one of us found you two in each other's arms!"

"You've been taking bets?" Steve repeated incredulously.

"Yes, we have; all of us," Danny said. "We all know what Catherine leaving did to you, and all any of us want is to see you seeing somebody and happy about it, and if that someone happens to be Millie Thompson, then so be it. There's only one thing I ask."

"What?" Steve asked, suspicious.

"If something does happen to her, please, please don't go crazy on us," Danny said.

"I don't go crazy," Steve shot back, indignant.

"Right. Sure. Like you didn't when Chin had a bomb strapped to his neck, or when Kono went missing during her little sailing trip, or when the CIA decided to take me back to that Colombian prison," Danny shot back. "Or when Catherine was shot during that job with whatever-his-name-was? Shall I continue?"

Steve glared at him. "And who's to say she's not going to do the same when one of us gets into trouble again? Are you going to make her make the same promise?"

"No, because I'm going to be too busy laughing while she tears a strip off you and too busy running if and when she goes after me," Danny shot back.

"Randal Marcus is giving us trouble again," Steve said, catching up to Millie a few hours later on his cellphone. "Every time we try to get a warrant in regards to Sang Ho, we hit a brick wall that has his name on it."

"Has Ellie said anything about that?" Millie asked, tugging her riding boots on. The temperatures were a bit cool, with the sky threatening rain, and she had a few errands to run. The boots had a flat heel that wouldn't hurt her ankle and also provided support.

Steve had called her up for several reasons; to gripe and hope she might know something or someone, and to say hello to his lover.

"She's been in court all day," Steve said. "Some big grand jury case she's been working on for months."

"Oh boy," Millie said. "Does Marcus have any connection to Sang Ho?"

"As far as we can tell, no," Steve said. "But then again we haven't looked too closely at him," he admitted. "What are you thinking?"

"What other common denominators are there besides Marcus refusing to grant warrants against Sang Ho?" Millie asked. "Has he given anyone else grief over him? If so, why, who, and what was the case?"

"Do you know I miss having you here?" Steve asked, already making mental plans to start digging into Randal Marcus.

Millie smiled. "I miss you too," she said. "I could drop by in a short- eyouch!" she suddenly yelped as claws suddenly pierced the exposed ankle skin of her other foot.

"Are you okay?" Steve asked, wondering whether or not he was going to have to make another mad dash to Millie's house.

"I'm fine," she groused, getting off her bed to look underneath. Her jaw fell open as a pair of tiny gold-blue eyes stared back at her amid black fur. She reached out and her fingers found a tiny feline head, which promptly tried to bite her. "I'm not sure, but I think Lunkhead brought somebody home," she said to Steve, avoiding another playful bite and grabbing the kitten. "I just found a little black kitten under my bed and it's obviously not afraid of me," she said, wincing as the kitten attacked her hand.

Steve chuckled. "I'll take a rain check on that visit, but I want double the kisses when you do," he said.

"I can do that," Millie said, trying to turn the kitten around enough to see under its tail to determine its sex. "Go after Marcus and let me know if you need help," she said.

"Will do. Catch you later, sweetheart," he said, ending the call.

Millie studied the thin kitten, who was vigorously attacking her cast. "You are a feisty little runt, aren't you?" she said. "And you need a bath. Where's that fool cat of mine?"

After shoving her other boot on, she went searching. She found him in the kitchen, watching over another kitten. This one was black and white-ish, and seemed to have no tail. In fact, if it weren't for the ears, Millie would have mistaken him for a baby panda. As she watched, Lunkhead picked up a piece of fish from his dish and dropped it in front of the kitten, who attacked it hungrily, making Millie's eyes go wide. Out of curiosity, she set the first kitten down and watched as it tried to go after Lunkhead's tail, with the older cat giving the kitten a resigned, patient look.

"You're kidding me," she said. She quickly snapped a picture on her cellphone and sent it to Steve with the message, "_Need to take these fellas the vet. Lunkey found them and hasn't tried killing them yet_."

A moment later there was a reply.

"_Just how hard did Lunkhead hit his head? Kono says they're adorable._"

A short while later, two vet techs were giving the kittens a bath in a sink full of warm water, with Lunkhead watching closely. Surprisingly enough, Lunkhead had climbed into the kitty carrier with the kittens, resulting in Millie taking all three to the vet, to which the receptionist had thought was hilarious.

"They're about two months old," said Mae, the veterinarian doctor Millie was friendly with. "So far I'm not seeing fleas, but they are undernourished, so that could suggest Momma isn't a house kitty. What are you going to do with them?"

"Well, the fact that Lunkhead didn't kill them, that's a good sign," Millie said, watching as one of the vet techs started drying off the kitten with no tail. "And I've got a place of my own now." She bit her lip. "What shots do they need?"

"A deworming wouldn't hurt," Mae said. She listed a few other shots and vaccines and again Millie bit her lip.

"Nail them. I'll keep them. God knows I could use the excitement," she decided. "The little black one seems awfully small, though."

"She could be the runt of the litter," Mae said. "I trust I don't have to tell you how to care for them?"

"Nope. I'll add kitten food to my grocery list," Millie said.

"What are you going to call them?"

"The little guy is going to get stuck with the name Po, but I don't know about the girl, yet," Millie admitted.

After dropping off the kittens and Lunkhead at home, Millie headed to Headquarters. She found her team buried in paperwork. Steve was down at the courthouse, trying to scare up more information.

"Your thing about Randal Marcus was bop on the nose," Lou said. "We had a chat with that file clerk you're chummy with, and she brought us all the files she could find with his signature on them."

"Lovely," Millie said. "Anything I can do to help?"

"Yeah. You got any more contacts at the court house?" Danny asked.

"Give me a minute and I'll give you some names and numbers," Millie said, heading for her office.

"Are you going to be okay for my wedding?" Kono called.

"Sistah, I wouldn't miss it for the world," Millie called back. "Just make sure you have a padded chair for me."

Steve appeared a few minutes later, more files in hand. "Sang Ho and Randal Marcus are in bed in all but physically, I'm sure of it," he said, laying the files down on the table. In front of everyone, he wrapped his arm around Millie's waist and gave her a 'hello' kiss that curled her toes and sent a blush coursing through her.

"They know," he said in her ear when he finally let her go, a surge of satisfaction going through him at the sight of her pleasure-glazed eyes.

"And we all just lost our bets," Chin said, grinning.

"Good," Steve shot back. "We'll behave during office hours, but after hours..."

"If you want to act like giggling teenagers, that's your problem," Lou said. "Anything more than that, find a room."

"Thank you," said Danny.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Catherine was back.

She had come back from Afghanistan the day before Kono's wedding, and she had helped stop a man bent on causing a nuclear explosion in O'ahu as a means of starting a war of his own against terrorism.

Steve had clearly been pleased to see her, leaving Millie wondering if her new, fledgling relationship with Steve was already over. She knew he cared about her, but things were new between them, whereas things were old, settled, and comfortable between him and Catherine.

Millie knew she was easy on the eyes, that she looked good in a bikini, and that she wasn't too bad in bed. She also knew she was good at her job as an administrative assistant and a good friend to a lot of people. But she worried that those things wouldn't be enough to keep Steve around, especially when he started spending time with Catherine, because Catherine clearly seemed to still care deeply for Steve. The movie date that Steve and Millie had tried to go on after the wedding, it had been interrupted by a call from Catherine and Steve wound up missing half the movie as a result, leaving Millie wondering if that call was going to be a regular occurrence. For Steve's sake, she had tried to act as the call hadn't bothered her, but privately, it had.

Five days after Catherine returned and Kono's wedding, Lou found Millie in the gym, working on a Bowflex Max Trainer.

"You know you're supposed to be going easy on that ankle and knee of yours, right?" Lou asked, watching her sweat.

"Spoke to the doc, Big Guy. This is low-impact and supposed to help the healing," Millie huffed.

"You'll heal a lot faster if you don't half-kill yourself," Lou said. "Unless that's what you're trying to do."

"No, I'm not," Millie said. "I'm just trying to get better so I can keep up with... With... Damnit..."

Millie stepped off the Max Trainer and her knees buckled under her. Thankfully, Lou caught her before she hit her head on anything.

"What the hell, lady!" Lou snapped.

"Need, umm, there's ummm, glucose tablets in, umm, in my, my bag," Millie said, struggling to think.

Lou helped her over to the bench where her bag was and found glucose tablets and water in her gym bag.

"You diabetic?" he asked, watching Millie pop a tablet and chew it.

She shook her head. "Fast metabolism; I burn off sugar twice as fast as the average person does. It's manageable, but I have to make sure that my sugar intake matches my energy output, or I'm in trouble."

"Like you are now?"

"Yeah. Trouble thinking straight, physical weakness, dizziness." She held out her hand, palm down; it was shaking.

"You need to eat," Lou said.

"I know."

"So why haven't you?"

"Haven't had the time."

"Bull. You and me, we're gonna go chow do on the biggest burgers they got around here, you hear me?" Lou snapped.

"How about pasta and chicken instead?" Millie asked hopefully.

"That's your idea of eating?" Lou asked, eyebrows going up.

"Chicken has protein and pasta has wheat, which converts into sugars. There's an Italian restaurant that does a fantastic chicken fettuccine," Millie said. "I also know for a fact they have a sirloin burger that will make you cry."

Lou looked at her. "You are going to tell me where this restaurant is, and I am going to buy you lunch. And then, girl, we are going to talk."

"Talk? About what?"

"About the fact that your heart is breaking because Catherine is back," Lou said.

Millie's pale and stricken face was all the answer he needed.

At the outdoor restaurant, after placing their orders, Lou looked at Millie. The pretty brunette had become a friend to him, and he felt very fatherly towards her. The attack had been over three weeks ago, but he could still remember the horror and fear he felt upon seeing her.

Now, the bruises were fading, but the cast remained, and would continue to do so for several more weeks.

"You know, just because Catherine is back, doesn't mean things are over between you and Steve," Lou began.

"I don't know," Millie said. "I do know they were together for a long time and she has a lot of qualities and skills I know I lack."

"Such as?"

"Tactical and combat skills, fighting skills, contacts in the Navy, stuff like that," Millie said.

"That just makes her valuable in a case, but not necessarily a good partner in a relationship," Lou said.

"Lou, she's practically his freaking equal!" Millie shot back, trying not to cry.

"Yeah, she is. What are you gonna do about it?"

"There's nothing I can do. The kind of stuff she can do, that takes years, years I don't have."

"How long have you been working as an admin assistant?"

"Officially, since I was eighteen, and I'm twenty-eight now, so ten years. So what?"

"So, that means you're good at handling the bull that comes with the job, right?"

"And then some."

"And there's a reason people call you Radar, right?"

"Because I can read people. So what?"

"That's not an easy skill to learn, not with the level you've demonstrated," Lou said. "Okay, yes, she can shoot, I have no doubt she can keep up with us during tactical situations, and yes, she's got contacts that are great to know about, especially when dealing with terrorism and the other bad boys that we come across. That's great for us." Lou took a mouthful of his coffee and continued, folding his hands in front of him and leaning forward. "Now, I may not know Catherine very well, but what I do know is she doesn't strike me as the kind of girl to worry herself silly over a bunch of kittens with no momma, or to fuss over a man with the mentality of a child. You don't think the way she does, or the way I do. You're not expecting trouble around every corner and you try to see good in people, even when you were accused of being nothing but trouble."

Millie looked down at her soda, not sure what to say. "Do I have your word that anything I say to you is strictly between us?"

"You do," Lou said.

Millie gathered her thoughts. "After Hugh died, I was broken in spirit and in heart. It took me about a year to stop grieving. In the five months I have known Steve, I finally started to believe again, to hope that I might find a partner of my own again, one who would care about me, despite my faults, and whom I could care about, without being afraid. He made me feel good, made me feel strong when I was weak, and made me feel safe when I was scared out of my mind. I'm terrified of losing him, after falling so hard. I'm not much of a runner, Lou, but if he chooses Catherine over me, I can't guarantee I'll stick around."

"I hear ya. Real awkward stuff if that happens."

"Exactly. The thing is, I knew about Catherine; I saw her around a time or two, and I always envied her."

"Why?"

"She puts the '_her_' in _'heroine_'. She's out there. And she makes him laugh."

"Yeah, she does. So?"

"So, how do I compete against that?"

"Simple; you don't."

"I don't understand."

"Don't try and compete against Catherine; you'll lose and you'll wind up looking like an idiot," Lou explained.

"Great," Millie muttered.

"Be yourself. You have attributes and skills of your own. You bring out the mushy side in him, that protective side that Catherine doesn't need because she can take care of herself," he advised. "And if he does decide to go back to Catherine, then that's his loss. Do me a favour and don't let it be our loss too."

"And if he does choose Catherine over me? Then what?"

"Then know you tried, and let the fool go. Steve's a good man, but he ain't the only fish in the sea."

"True. Gonna smart like crazy, though."

"Always does. Just remember this; you've got something she doesn't."

"What's that?"

"A damn big heart, and that, in my book, is priceless."

_"I still believe in you_

_With a love that will always be _

_Standing so strong and true_

_Baby, I still believe in you and me..._

_Somewhere along the way, I guess I just lost track_

_Only thinkin' of myself never lookin' back_

_For all the times I've hurt you, I apologize_

_I'm sorry it took so long to finally realize_

_Give me the chance to prove_

_That nothing's worth losing you_

_I still believe in you_

_With a love that will always be_

_Standing so strong and true_

_Baby I still believe in you and me..."_

It was late at night and Steve could hear the music over the computer table. Curious, he looked out of his office; some guy was singing in an empty auditorium on the main screen, and he looked familiar. Then the song ended, replaced by a different music video, one of the same man doing a different song. Millie appeared a moment later, singing along with the song softly.

She had been back on the job for several days and after Catherine had appeared, she had been skittish around him, afraid almost.

She had hugged both him and Danny tightly after the nuke incident, but backed off when she saw Catherine. Then, when they had tried to take in a movie, Catherine had called and he had gotten pulled away from the movie for about half of it. He had not been amused at the interruption but had let it go when Millie appeared to do the same.

Danny had asked him point-blank what he was going to do.

_"What do you mean?" he asked._

_"Cut the innocent act," Danny shot back. "Good ol' Catherine is back from God-knows-where, doing God-knows-what. Hey, that's great, that's wonderful! Except you happen to be seeing Millie Thompson, who is one of the sweetest girls I know, even if her mouth leaves something to be desired."_

_"I know that, Danny!" Steve snapped. "Catherine showing up like that, it caught me off-guard. I never expected to see her again, which is why I was letting myself start caring about Millie."_

_"And now? Are you going to try loving someone polar opposite of what you've known for years, or are you going to go back to what you know?" Danny demanded. "Because if you're going to take Catherine back, then let Millie go but please, for her sake, be gentle about it."_

Now, as Steve watched Millie sing along with the music video, he wondered if he could let Millie go.

Today she was wearing velvet leggings and an embroidered denim pheasant top with elastic cuffs, with a cute floral headband and flats. As always, she looked cute, even with her arm in a cast. When she saw him out of the corners of her eye, she looked up at him and smiled.

"Hey," she said, coming over to him.

"Hey yourself," he said, reaching out to brush a lock of hair out of her face. "How come you're working late?"

"Just catching up on some paperwork. Backlog stuff. You know how it is," she said. "You?"

"Nukes are a pain in the butt," he said.

"You shot the guy in the leg; the paperwork is going to be a bitch," Millie reminded him, grinning.

"We were running out of time," Steve reminded her. "Desperate times call for desperate measures."

"I know. That's why I'm expediting some of the paperwork for you," she said. "The minor stuff is already done; they just need your signature, which can be done in the morning."

"Have I told you lately how much I appreciate what you do?" he asked.

"Not recently, but it's nice to know," she said. "Thanks."

And she kissed him on the cheek, but before she could walk away, he grabbed her and kissed her properly. As she laid her head against his chest, he wondered, yet again, if he could let Millie go.


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

Millie felt her foot catch on the sidewalk and knew she was about to do a face-plant. She let out an involuntary shriek, only to find herself being grabbed by two sets of strong arms.

She looked up to see two men, both in jeans and shirts, one with chocolate skin wearing a long-sleeve shirt, bald, clean-shaven, and built like a fighter, and one with tanned light skin, dark brown hair cut close, a five o'clock beard and moustache, a short-sleeve shirt, and well-built. Both men had kind eyes.

"Mahalo," she said, straightening up carefully.

"You're welcome. I would hate to see the other guy," the dark-skinned one said, eyeing her fading bruises, cast, and Koa-wood cane.

"Amazing how much damage a very angry thirty-pound cat can do," she said. "My hero." Both men looked at her disbelieving, and she said, "Remind me to show you his mugshot."

As they headed inside the building, the men stuck close to her, apparently going in the same direction as her.

"What happened?" the second man asked.

"Nearly lost a fight with a guy who thought it was okay to sexually harass a sixteen year-old girl," Millie said, waving at a couple of cops who called out to her in greeting. "When I told him off, he took objection to it."

"Damn. Hope he got nailed for it," the first man said.

"I'm friends with at least half the HPD. Guess," Millie said, signing the log book. "They even slapped a pair of cuffs on him with my name on it."

Grinning at her, the second man opened up a black badge holder, showing a gold shield. "Special Agent Callen and Hanna, NCIS," he said. "We just flew in from Los Angeles and we're here to see Commander Steve McGarrett of the Five-0 Taskforce," he said.

Millie held up her own gold shield, which had been on the waistband of her black jeggings, and said, "Millie Thompson, Five-0 Taskforce. Is Steve expecting you?"

"Yeah; we've worked with him before. We're chasing after an arms dealer by the name of Shane Rafferty; he may be hiding on the islands, and Steve may have tangled with him," Callen said.

"Steve usually does tangle with one arms dealer or another," Millie said. "Usually with painful results." Then she saw the sign on the elevator, loudly proclaiming that it was out of service, and swore.

"Lolo kanapapiki!"

Then she shrieked as a very large man in a Honolulu police uniform suddenly picked her up as if she was nothing more than a bag of feathers.

"Put me down, Kaleo, you giant walking ape!" Millie yelled as he easily carried her up the flight of stairs.

The officer was big, with tanned skin, dark hair, and laughing dark eyes, and Sam could see dark tattoos peeking out from the edge of his uniform shirt. He knew that if push came to shove, he would not want to tangle with this guy.

"Oh come on, Radar; this is the first time I actually got to pick you up without you turning me down," Kaleo teased.

"Oh. My. God," Millie moaned, her face turning scarlet, while both men grinned. "Watch the mouth, or I'll tell your wife you're picking up other women!"

Whoever this Millie Thompson was, she was a woman into herself, Callen thought, grinning. Kensi would like her.

At the top of the stairs, on the landing, Kaleo carefully set Millie down and was rewarded for his efforts with a kiss to the temple. "Do that again, you big lug, and I'll beat you with my cane," she said. "And get on Maintenance's case about that elevator!"

Kaleo laughed. "Will do. Good to have you back."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever," Millie shot back, a blush creeping through her face, offset by her grin, as she headed for a set of glass doors with stainless steel handles.

"Nice guy," Callen commented.

"He is; sweet, harmless, and married; just don't piss him off," Millie said, shoving the doors open. "He's been a friend since I migrated here years ago."

"Thought I heard you yelling, Kiakuahine," Chin said, grinning as he approached her.

"Elevator is down, so Officer Kaleo decided he was going to carry me up the damn stairs," Millie explained, accepting his hug.

"Brave man," Chin said.

"Steve around? These guys say they know him," Millie said.

"They do. We worked together on a case a while back. Welcome back," Chin said, shaking Callen and Sam's hands. "How's Deeks and Kensi?"

"They're doing good, real good. They said to say hello," Callen said.

"Good; they're good people. Steve's in his office; I'll get him. And you," he said, pointing to Millie, "go easy on yourself; three weeks isn't enough time for you to heal."

Millie waved her hand dismissively. "I'm fine; weather is causing my knee to act up. In the meantime, Lou, be a dear and show these nice gentlemen Moore's mugshot please; they doesn't believe me about Lunkhead," she said to the big former SWAT captain.

Lou pulled up Moore's mugshot and Callen felt his eyes going wide. Then Lou pulled up a picture of Lunkhead glaring at the camera.

"That's Lunkhead. Thirty pounds of former stray, very loyal to Millie. He tolerates everyone else, just, but loves Grace," Danny said, having joined them. "When Moore attacked Millie, Lunkhead attacked him. He's awaiting trial on charges of two counts of sexual assault, one charge of rape, and one charge of assaulting a federal officer. The D.A. is saying she's sure she can add a few other things on, just to make his life a little more difficult."

"My kind of lawyer," Callen said.

Steve joined them and exchanged greetings with Sam and Callen.

"What brings you back here?" he asked.

"Other than the fact you owe me a steak, we're chasing after a guy by the name of Shane Rafferty," Sam said, holding up a flash drive. Steve accepted the flash drive and plugged it into the computer table.

"We linked him to a Navy officer by the name of Chief Petty Officer Tom Biggles, who was found hanging by his neck in his office. Coroner says it's a murder made to look like a suicide," Callen began. "Our investigation found he was being forced to falsify information regarding weapons that were supposed to be destroyed."

"What kind of weapons are we talking about here?" Danny asked, studying the images coming up on the main screen.

"Everything from LAWS to assault rifles to pistols; whatever Biggles could make vanish without raising too many questions," Sam said.

"But somebody raised questions," Lou guessed.

"Biggles; he kept a very detailed diary," Sam said. "He sent it to his brother, Staff Sergeant Michael Biggles, who passed it on to us after he learned of his brother's death. It was heavily encrypted but we've got two very good computer techs and they cracked the encryption with no problem."

"Eric and... Nell, was it?" Danny asked, trying to remember.

"That's right. Didn't take those two long. Thanks to the diary, we went after Shane Rafferty and his buddies. We managed to shut down the pipeline in L.A. but couldn't stop him in time from boarding a plane to here. We think he may try to jump to Japan from here, and then to Europe."

"I have one question, and this is because I'm new to some of this stuff," Millie said.

"Okay," Steve said.

"What the heck are LAWS?" Millie asked.

"Light Anti-Armour Weapons," Steve said. "They're lightweight, portable anti-tank rockets."

"Right! Now I remember. _ Mythbusters_ did an episode of one of those things verses a bullet, I think," Millie said.

"What was the status of the myth?" Steve asked.

"Busted. I think it had something to do with the distance before the rocket armed itself and the amount of molten metal spread on explosion," Millie said. "I'll double-check later. Either way, bullet verses rocket, not a good idea, which means don't start getting ideas," she said, glaring pointedly at Steve, who just smiled innocently at her. "Anyway, do you guys have any idea where this charming haole might be?"

"Eric and Nell were chasing after him electronically when we left," Callen said.

As Chin worked on setting up the video call, Steve tugged Millie to one side and lifted her left hand, which was covered in scratches.

"What happened?" he asked softly, running his thumb across her raw knuckles.

"Elless decided to have an idiot fit in the early hours of the morning," she said. "Itches like crazy, but I'll put some more anti-itch lotion on it in a bit."

"Elless?" he repeated, not letting go of her hand.

"L.S., short for Little Shit," she explained. "The little black one; she's usually up to no good."

"And the one with no tail?" he asked, grinning in amusement.

"Po, from _Kung Fu Panda_. He's like a little rolly-polly panda and a bit of a klutz, but he's a cuddle baby."

"Right, and Kung Fu Panda is one of your favourite movies."

"You seen it?" When he shook his head, she smiled suggestively. "Movie night at my place, first chance we get."

He smiled, liking the idea. Once again he wondered if he really could let Millie go.

"We're on," said Chin, pointedly ignoring them.

_Time to get back to work._


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29**

"What's with you and Millie?" Sam asked as he and Steve made their way through traffic. Callen and Danny were heading for a secondary location, while Lou and Chin tackled a third.

"We're seeing each other," Steve admitted.

"What about Catherine? You two were pretty tight for a while. "

"She just got back after being in Afghanistan for a year," Steve said. "It's a long story, but she told me not to wait for her."

"You moved on."

"Didn't think I could, but Millie is different, and I wasn't exactly trying. It just sort of happened. She joined our team about five months ago, having worked with HPD for about seven years, and was with the Portland PD for a few years prior. She's got a good heart and a steady head."

"You been seeing her long?"

"It only started getting serious about two weeks ago."

"She a cop or anything like that?"

"No, strictly admin, but we have pulled her into the field a few times."

"Isn't that risky?"

"Every time. Good thing she knows how to shoot."

"Has she ever had to?"

"Thankfully, no."

"So what's the problem?"

"What makes you think there's a problem?"

"Catherine's back. She's your old girlfriend. Millie's here. She's your new girlfriend. Which one do you want?"

"I don't know. I don't even know if there's anything between me and Cath anymore," Steve admitted.

"What about you and Millie?"

"Things are still pretty new. Yeah, I care about her, but how deep that goes, I don't know."

"You're going to have to figure that out, man, and fast. Millie seems like a sweet girl and if you don't claim her, some other guy will."

"I know, I know."

They arrived at the hotel where Eric had said one of Shane Rafferty's alias had cropped up. At the desk, they made their inquiry. Yes, someone matching Rafferty's description had been there, but he had checked out two days before. The hotel promised to forward their video files to Headquarters for them.

Steve's phone rang; it was Millie.

"Nani, what's up?" he asked, putting the call on speaker.

"_Other than the sun, several things. I just got a call from Los Angeles; two other agents will be joining us within the next few hours. Names are Detective Marty Deeks and Agent Kensi Blye. Sound familiar?_"

"Blye, yes. Deeks, no," Steve said. He raised an eyebrow at Sam.

"Deeks is Kensi's partner; he's our LAPD liaison. Danny and Chin met him last time," Sam said. "Think loveable mutt. We adopted him from the pound," he said, grinning.

"_Those are the best kind,_" Millie said. "_And I just brought up his file photo and yikes! Surfer boy all the way. When was the last time he visited a barber?_"

"Been trying to get him to get a haircut for years," Sam said. "No luck."

"_Sounds like Danny. Anyway, I'll pick 'em up at the airport in a bit. Any luck on your end?_" Millie asked.

"Rafferty cleared out two days ago. The hotel is sending us their video footage for the last few days. Maybe we can figure out who he's with," Steve said.

"_Gotcha. I'll let you know when we have it and I'll start combing through. Oh, that reminds me; I reached out to a friend in the gang unit. If Rafferty is in the weapons business, then gangs are a perfect client. He said he would extend an ear to see if there are any new sellers in the area, specifically ones that match Rafferty's description. Said he would get back to me within the next few hours._"

"Appreciate that," Steve said.

"_No problem. Also, Catherine stopped by, looking for you. Something about wanting to ask you about a guy by the name of Dale Seevers? Seems he may or may not be connected to that jewelry store heist from two days ago," _Millie said._ "I ran his name but nothing's coming up. She said she'd contact you later._"

"Sounds good. Thanks, Nani," Steve said.

"_No problem, Koa. E malu 'oe, guys,_" Millie said, signing off.

"Nani?" Sam asked, following Steve out to his truck.

"Her nickname, one of several. Means _beautiful_ in Hawaiian," Steve admitted.

"And Koa?"

"_Warrior_. It's what she calls me. Easier to say than Kelamoku, which is _sailor_. Where to next?"

"Some place called the Sheraton Waikiki, on Kalakaua Ave," Sam said, checking his notes.

"This guy likes his comforts, doesn't he?" Steve said, heading for the highway.

As Steve drove, Sam sent Callen a text message.

_Lucked out at the Ala Moana. Heading for the Sheraton. Deeks and Kensi on the way in. Flirt with Millie. Steve's on the bench about Cath and her._

_Easy to do; she's likeable,_ was the reply a few seconds later.

"Steve and Sam lucked out at the Ala Moana," Callen said to Danny. "They're heading for Sheraton, and Kensi and Deeks are on their way in."

"And I just spoke to the hotel owner. No one matching Rafferty's description has been through, but then again I was smelling so much pot I was starting to get a high just being in the same room as him," Danny said.

His phone rang. It was Millie.

"What's up, Radar?" he asked.

"_Don't know what you know, but Sam and Steve lucked out at the Ala Moana_," Millie said.

"We know; Sam just text Callen," Danny said. "Not having much luck at the Lucky Diamond."

"_This guy is all over the freaking place, and I'm wondering if it's deliberate. He's got to know you're after him._"

"Did you alert the transit and airport authorities?" Danny asked.

"_Stupid question, Danno; of course I did. His face is all over the place. He won't be leaving O'ahu legally any time soon. I also reached out to a friend in the gang unit, based on a hutch. We'll see how that one plays out,_" Millie said. "_Question for Callen, though._"

Danny handed his phone to Callen. "Millie has a question for you."

"What's up, Millie?" Callen asked.

"_What the hell does the G stand for?_"

"I have no idea. Been that way since I was a kid and no one's ever told me," Callen admitted.

"_You're serious?_"

"Very. It's a long story."

"_And a good one, I'm sure. Tell you what; would you be offended if I gave you a proper name?_"

"Only if it's not rude."

"_Gabriel,_" Millie said. "_Gabe for short._"

"Been called worse," he admitted. "I can live with that."

"_You should hear what I call Danny when I have to chase after him over the reports again. Tell him I'll touch base with him later._"

"Sure thing, pretty lady," he said, remembering Sam's request. "Want us to bring you back anything? Coffee, maybe?"

There was a smile in Millie's voice. "_Thanks for the offer, but I'm good. Just be careful; from what I'm reading, this Rafferty guy is trouble._"

"Nothing we haven't tangled with before."

"_Really? Because it seems he's very fond of blowing things up_."

"Then we'll just have to be extra careful," Callen promised, handing the phone back to Danny.

"You, my friend, are asking for a world of trouble if Steve catches you flirting with his girlfriend," Danny said.

"That's the point. If Steve gets jealous of me flirting with Millie, then it's going to be easier for him to figure out which girlfriend he wants," Callen said. "And trust me, she's real easy on the eyes. If I weren't already seeing someone in L.A., I'd be tempted."

"As long as it's all talk and no hands, it might do Steve a bit of good to get a bit jealous," Danny admitted. "And you're right; Millie is easy on the eyes. On the mouth, not so much."

"As long as it's all talk and no hands, it might do Steve a bit of good to get jealous," Danny admitted. "And you're right; Millie is easy on the eyes. On the mouth, not so much." He shrugged. "I'm in. She likes pineapple and hibiscus flowers. Oh, and she has a two-bedroom house with a treehouse and a hot tub. And I think her sofa is actually one of those hide-a-bed things."

"And her cat?"

"Lunkhead? Big, tough former stray, who must've knocked a few marbles loose because he suddenly decided he was going to adopt two motherless kittens. Grace loves him and he goes cutesy with her, but ignores everyone else, although Steve did threaten to shoot him if he went after his ankles," Danny said.

"If I play it right, think I can crash on her couch?"

"Knowing her, she'll offer," Danny said. "I'll wiggle it for you."

Two more hours of searching turned up nothing. Rafferty had been seen but no one could lock down a location. All that was left was to hope the feelers that had been put out, turned up something.

Back at Headquarters, Millie had lunch waiting for them in the form of pizza and drinks.

"Aren't you a sight for sore eyes!" Callen said, smiling at her, causing her to blush. "If all of NCIS's administrative assistants looked like you, I'd be coming back to the office more often."

"You're only saying that because I bothered to feed you," Millie shot back. "Wait till one of us gets on your case about your paperwork. Then you'll be singing a different tune."

"As long as it involves you, I'll sing any tune you want," Callen replied, ignoring the glare Steve shot his way.

Danny grinned at Steve, enjoying his partner's obvious discomfort.

"Did you find anything?" Steve asked Millie, moving next to her.

"I found plenty, none of which makes any sense," Millie said, pulling up records on the main screen. "Eric and Nell found property listings for four of Rafferty's aliases. All four property listing exist, but when I checked the power outage on them, to see if they were in use, only one had any significant usage. Here's the thing; according to what I was able to find out, Rafferty bought the house for a song less than a month ago, and hasn't done anything to it since. I can't find any permits for renovations, expansions, nada. I even called plumbers and electricians to see if maybe he hired someone, but nope. From what I can tell, the house is a pile of scrap wood, at best, in a run-down neighbourhood that's got call-outs every other day. So why the hell would he buy it?"

"That's not a house; that's a shack, and that's being polite," said Danny, looking at the picture.

"It's a lousy place to hide guns, or himself," Lou said.

"Exactly. Yet, there is considerable power usage coming from it, enough to suggest someone is there. Maybe it's the fact that it's the last place anyone would look for him; given the way he was living it up at the hotels, this is a complete one-eighty," Millie said. "I think it's worth checking out, but I've got a bad feeling about it."

"Have someone sit on it for a few hours, see what happens," Steve said. "If Rafferty is there, we go after him. If he's not, we move on."

"I'll make the call," Millie said.

"Anything else?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, my buddy in the gang unit got back to me. He's shaking down a few known weapon buyers who've been spotted doing some more shifting, beyond what they usually do. He's going to go hunting and promised to get me some names. With the way he's been spending, Rafferty's going to need money, and the best way to do that is for him to do what he knows how to do best; sell weapons," Millie said. "The kind of weapons he got his hands on, they would be selling fast. I also made some calls to a few people who owe me favors and they've promised to help. They're the kind of people who want Rafferty off the island just as much as we do."

"Good work," said Steve, meaning it.

"For someone who's just an administrative assistant, you sure aren't your average secretary," Callen said.

"This secretary has a gun and a badge, and I'm also very good at making friends," Millie pointed out.

"How did you wind up with us, anyway? You never really did say," Chin asked.

"Would you believe I smart-mouthed the governor?" Millie asked, deadpan.

"I believe it, trust me, I believe it!" Danny said.


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30**

Millie picked up Deeks and Kensi at the airport with Blackbird. Deeks tried to call shotgun, but wound up in the back when Millie made it very plain she was the boss.

"Look, Surfer Boy, my Jeep, my choice," Millie said, causing Kensi to laugh. "I'm the one doing the driving here." At his crestfallen look, she relented. "Tell you what; depending on what happens, I'll let you drive her later. All I ask is that whatever you use, you put back, and that includes gas."

"What else do you have in there?" Kensi asked, curious about the newest member of Five-0.

"A fully stocked first-aid kit, emergency survival gear, and two boxes of nine mill bullets, one in the glove compartment and one in the back box," Millie said. "Oh, and there's a pocket knife and belt cutter in the glove compartment too."

"Nice," said Kensi, admiringly.

"Why so loaded?" Deeks asked.

"Because Steve occasionally borrows Blackbird for the dirt roads, and he and I like to go hiking," Millie admitted.

"You two are together?" Kensi asked.

"I like to think so, but Steve's old girlfriend, Catherine, just showed up after being gone for about a year in Afghanistan, so I'm not sure how things are going to play out," Millie admitted. She shrugged and flashed Kensi a smile, one Kensi saw that didn't reach her eyes. "I survived a beating from a guy who took objection to my mouth, I'll survive a broken heart."

"That's why your arm is in a cast?" Deeks asked.

"Broken wrist, fractured forearm, busted knee and ankle," Millie admitted. "Won't be hiking for a while, but there's always other things to do."

"That's true," Kensi said.

"You two will be staying with me tonight; I have a king-size bed in my spare bedroom. Callen and Sam say you two are joined at the hip," Millie said. Kensi's face went red. Millie continued. "Callen has called dibs on my sofa bed, and I suspect Sam is going to be catching up with Steve, based on what I was overhearing. Oh, and I hope you brought swimsuits; I have a hot tub that will make you cry."

"You have a hot tub?" Deeks repeated, eyes wide. "I'm already crying."

"Gonna make you cry even more if one of my furry babies decides to climb the inside of your legs," Millie predicted.

"You have kittens?" Kensi asked, already looking forward to seeing Millie's house.

"Now I'm really going to cry," said Deeks.

At Headquarters Kensi and Deeks were brought up to date on the status of Rafferty. While they did that, Millie headed for the kitchen, not comfortable with being around Catherine, who had joined the party. Steve joined her a moment later, watching as she methodically brewed herself a cup of Wild Raspberry Hibiscus loose leaf tea, a blend he'd seen her use before when she was starting to feel tired and sore.

"You okay?" he asked.

She smiled at him. "I'm good. You know how it is; the body takes time to heal, and I've been pushing myself pretty hard lately."

"Why?" he asked, reaching up and gently massaging her shoulders and neck. "You don't need to do that."

"Yes, I do; it's the only way to keep up with you guys," she said, relaxing under his touch. She sighed when he wrapped his arms around her waist and held her against him, settling his chin on her head. For a moment, the outside world vanished and she felt safe again.

"You do good work, sweetheart. You don't have to prove anything to anyone, not even us. No matter what happens, remember that," he said.

"And us? Is there an us, with Catherine back?"

"I think so," he said, kissing her neck. "I hope so. I just need you to trust that I will figure things out. I need a little time, time we don't have much of right now, okay?"

"Okay, because I like this. I like it a lot, but if it doesn't work and you decide to stick with Catherine, well, I won't be happy about it, but I promised Lou I would stick around," she said, tipping her head to allow him better access to her neck, which he took advantage of.

"Thank you," he said, meaning it.

She turned around and laid her head on his chest. "All I ask is that you be careful out there. Everything else can wait until you have more time."

"Thank you. Remember something for me?"

"Okay."

"No matter what, you will always have a place and family here. Always."

She smiled. "I'll remember. I promise."

Neither of them saw Danny's smug look as he vanished back into the main area, having overheard the conversation.

It was two-thirty in the morning. Callen snapped awake, reaching for his gun as the sound of footsteps going across the living room floor of Millie's house caught his unconscious attention. Bolting upright, he scanned the dark living room, shivering in the cool air of the night, air that felt colder than normal.

But there was no one there, yet his senses were screaming that someone was there, someone he couldn't see.

He got up started searching the house, gun at the ready, but the house was secure and everyone was sound asleep, even the cats.

Not only that, but when Callen went back to the living room, he noticed the chill was gone.  
What the hell?

It took Callen a while to settle down again.

He was never so glad to see the sun as he was that morning.

"You sleep okay?" Millie asked, coming into the kitchen, fully dressed in slacks and tropical floral print blouse.

"Heard footsteps around two-thirty a.m. but couldn't find anything or anyone," Callen admitted, watching as Millie poured herself a cup of steaming coffee that smelled distinctly of caramel.

"Temperature drop?" Millie asked, adding coffee creamer and sugar.

"Yeah. How'd you know?"

"Because it happens every night, around two-thirty in the morning and has done since I move in," Millie said. "Don't know if you believe in ghosts or whatnot, but based on what I know about hauntings, those footsteps would be classified as residual hauntings."

"You're serious," Callen said, accepting a cup of coffee from her.

"Very. I'm even pretty sure I know who it is," Millie said.

"Who?"

"Michael Iwa. He was murdered in the living room a year ago and his murder was never solved," she explained. "That mirror on the wall, the one with the mermaid? It covers a bullet hole that's been plastered over dozens of times but keeps coming back."

Curious, Callen went over to the mirror and looked underneath. Sure enough, there was a dimple in the wall the size of a nine millimetre bullet hole.

"Wow," he said, eyes wide.

"He's harmless. Kono's seen him once, but beyond that, it's just been the footsteps, sudden chill, and the bullet hole."

"And this doesn't bother you?"

"Why should it? It wasn't Mr. Iwa's fault he was murdered. Things like that, they leave a residue."

Their conversation was interrupted by Deeks, who staggered into the kitchen, his already-shaggy hair sticking up even further.

"Do you know you have a Peeping Tom for a neighbour?" he said, reaching for a coffee mug to pour himself a cup of coffee.

"Why do you say that?" Millie asked.

"Saw an old guy in the bedroom mirror last night. Think he was from next door," Deeks said.

"That's Mr. Iwa. Forgot to warn you about him," Millie said. "Don't worry; he's harmless."

"Good to know," Deeks said.

"He's also dead," Millie said, heading for her room, ignoring the choking sound coming from the detective.

Deeks looked at Callen, eyes wide. "She's kidding, right? Please tell me she's kidding."

At Headquarters, the teams regrouped. The two officers who had been sitting on the house Millie had found earlier, had reported seeing Rafferty enter and leave the house at least once.

"He's there," Millie said. "I still have a bad feeling about this, but it's been confirmed he's there."

"Okay, tell the officers to keep watch on the house. I want officers on stand-by and we'll hit the house the minute he's been sighted there," Steve said.

"Understood," Millie said.

"Millie, I know you don't go into the field very often, but I want you on the team as our eyes and ears," Steve continued. "Can you do that?"

"Gladly," she said. "Just tell me where you want me."

"In the van when we hit him," Steve said. "Keep a weapon with you, just in case. In the mean time, let's get our gear together."

"You ever done mission control before?" Catherine asked Millie.

"No, but if it's anything like wrangling you guys, it shouldn't be too difficult," Millie said.

An hour later, Rafferty was spotted going into the house.

"He hasn't left," Millie said, watching as he tightened the straps on his vest. She wore a headset that patched her into all the team members and would be watching closely from inside the SWAT van. All the team members wore cameras on their vests and the video feed would be patched in to the monitors inside the van. Millie had been given full authority over the officers waiting outside, along with the young SWAT officer who had volunteered his services as a technical advisor. Right now she was watching him through Danny's camera.

"_We'll get him,_" Steve said. "_What about the back of the property?_"

"That's what's got me concerned; there's a back alley there and two garages side by side. I think he may try and slip out," Millie said. "If he jumps the fence, he could get away quite easily."

"_Understood. Keep your ears and your eyes open_," he said.

"Always."

"_Alright, everyone ready?_" Steve asked.

There were nods and vocal confirmations from the teams in the two vans. The plan was for one team to hit the front and one to hit the back and surround the house. They would hit hard and fast, giving Rafferty no time to run.

A block from the house, they exited their vehicles and began a stealthy run towards the house.

Then Millie's cell phone rang. She answered.

"_Radar, it's Officer Collin Orlov. I don't know if you remember me, but you saved my ass a few months back, with regards to a hooker_," a male voice said.

"I remember, but this isn't a good time. Can I call you back?" Millie asked.

"_Not if your guys are about to hit a house supposedly belonging to a Shane Rafferty_," Orlov said.

"That's in progress. Why?" Millie asked, instantly suspicious.

"_Call 'em off! Call 'em off now, Radar! I've got good word it's a trap; the whole house is rigged to blow_!" Orlov said desperately.

"Abort!" Millie yelled frantically, dropping her phone and yelling over her headset. "Abort! It's a trap! Abort, damnit!"

"_Are you sure?_" Steve demanded, already backpedaling.

"Yes, yes I'm sure!" Millie snapped, watching her monitors with wide eyes. "It's a trap! The house is a damn bomb!"

"_You heard her! Everyone, pull back!_" Steve snapped.

"_Pulling back_," Callen said.

"_Confirmed_," said Lou.

"_Danny? Sam?_" Steve said.

"_We heard and we're going_," Danny said.

"_Same here_," said Deeks. "_Kensi too_."

"_Cath? Kono?_" Steve asked.

"_Aborting and regrouping,_" Kono said.

"Regroup back here," Millie said, heart pounding, as she watched the team pull back from the house. "I've got to get ahold of the bomb boys. No one goes near that house without express clearance, got that?"

"_Got it_," Steve said.

"You heard me; call the bomb squad and tell them we've got a bomb house," Millie snapped to the tactical officer. "Details, buddy, now!" she snapped to Orlov, grabbing her phone again.

"_I picked up this gang banger and he's drunk as they come and bragging about having set up a house to blow, thanks to someone who matched the description of your Rafferty guy,_" Orlov explained. "_Said the explosion would make a gas line explosion look tame, and even bragged about using ANFO to make for a bigger bang_."

"Son of a bitch," Millie breathed, already seeing the implications. "I owe you big time, brother."

"_Not for this, you don't. I'm going to go beat up on my guy some more, see if I can't pull out some more info out of him. I'll call you later_," Orlov said, ending the call.

"Bomb squad is on its way, ma'am," said the officer Millie had snapped at earlier. "Fifteen, twenty minutes at the most."

"Start evacuation procedures," Millie said. "If I remember right, anything with ANFO has a nasty explosion and that's not including the shockwave. Coordinate with the bomb squad to find out how far to pull back, but be on the lookout for Rafferty or anyone hanging around who shouldn't be. I don't trust that bastard to pull something."

"Yes ma'am," said the officer, getting on his radio to get the evacuation started.

"What's going on, Millie?" Chin asked, coming up to her. The whole group had rejoined her at the van.

"I just got a call from a friend, a cop I know. He just busted this gang member who started bragging about a big bang coming to you guys, courtesy of Rafferty," Millie explained. "He said it was going to make a gas line explosion look tame; the whole damn house is wired to blow. I caught the word ANFO, and if it means what I think it means, we've got a serious problem."

"ANFO, as in ammonium nitrate/fuel oil?" Steve asked.

"Yup, and with there being several farming communities around, that stuff would not be hard to get," Millie said. "Orlov said he'd get back to me with more details, if he can, but swore up and down his gang banger was telling the truth about the set-up. I've already got evacuation procedures started, with instructions to coordinate with the bomb squad and for everyone to be watching out for anyone who shouldn't be here."

"Bomb squad?" Steve asked.

"Fifteen to twenty," Millie answered.

"Damn, girl, for someone who's never done mission control, you're good," said Lou. "I want you on mission control more often."

"Fine," Millie said, trying to convince her heart to stop pounding. "I want a raise."


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31**

Fifteen minutes later, a man with Mexican features joined them.

"Captain Gerado," the Spanish-decent man said. "What's this about a bomb?"

"We were about to execute a joint Five-0-NCIS hit on a house suspected of being the hiding place of a weapons dealer by the name of Shane Rafferty," Millie explained. "I got a call from a contact who told me the house is rigged to blow, possibly with ANFO, so we aborted the hit. I'm waiting on details but I trust my contact, and word is Rafferty is connected to several similar bombings. I had a chance to study the kind of bombs he seems to favour and ANFO is one of his favourite ingredients."

"Fair enough. Can you show me those, so I have an idea what we're dealing with?" Gerado asked.

"While you do that, we need to keep the pressure on Rafferty," Steve said.

"Go; we're good," Millie said.

While everyone else scrambled for their vehicles, Steve quickly squeezed Millie's hand, his eyes speaking of his gratitude more than words could. She smiled and squeezed back.

"Go. Kick Rafferty in the nuts for me," she said. "If anyone deserves it, it's him."

"Gladly."

And he left, leaving Millie to turn her attention to Gerado and the bomb house.

An hour later, they had him. He had been caught trying to charter a plane to Kaua'i, where, from there, he would jump to Japan and disappear into Europe. The gun fight left two of Rafferty's bodyguards dead and one wishing he was. Rafferty, on the other hand, tried to get off a shot but got a face full of asphalt for his efforts, largely due to a flying tackle by Sam.

Steve smiled at the angry man as he was cuffed and brought to his feet, which made Danny very nervous.

"Why are you smiling like that?" he asked.

"Smiling like what?" Steve asked.

"Like you're about to do something very nasty, potentially very painful, and something that will more than likely require deniability by all of us," Danny said. "I hate it when you smile that; the end results are never, ever good."

"You're right; this isn't going to be very good for him," Steve said. And he kicked Rafferty in the groin, dropping him to the ground.

"That was a request from our mission controller, who saved us from being blown to bits by that very nice bomb house you left for us," he said.

"Radar asked you to do that?" Danny asked. When Steve nodded, Danny thought for a moment then shrugged his shoulders. "In that case, I see nothing, I know nothing."

"Same here," said Chin, grinning.

"And I thought you had a mean kick," Callen said to Kensi, who grinned.

With Rafferty finally rounded up, the team headed back to Headquarters to catch up with Millie.

She had news and it was not good.

"Captain Gerado managed to find and disarm the bomb, but it was not pretty," she said, bringing up photos on the main computer. "There was a trip wire attached to a closed kitchen door. That wire lead to a hole in the floor and to a half-pound bag of ANFO and a grenade, which had been attached to the gas line of the house, which was on," Millie said. "The door would have been opened, as per standard procedure, and everyone in that house would have been dead, not to mention the families on either side of the house."

"My god," Kono breathed.

"I'd say we owe your contact our lives," said Kensi.

"I said that to him and he said he actually owed me and that this didn't count," Millie said. "As far as Officer Orlov is concerned, he and three other officers owe me a life debt, but I don't plan on cashing in on that any time soon."

"How did you meet Orlov?" Chin asked.

"I met Officer Collin Orlov a few months back, just after you gave me the badge," Millie began. "I saw him having a rather heated conversation with a woman who was very clearly a prostitute. Always been too nosy for my own good, so I got a little closer and heard her threatening to tell his wife and captain about their little hook-up unless he paid her. Except he was denying the hook-up and she said that didn't matter; it was her word against his, and just her word could do a lot of damage."

"What did you do?" Kensi asked.

"Once the bitch was gone, I confronted Orlov. Told him I was on his side and would help him if he was honest with me," Millie said. "He swore on his badge and five-year marriage he had never hooked up with the woman, who went by the name of Cherry Sunday, for some stupid reason. So I looked her up and found out she had a long history of extortion and prostitution. Did some asking around and found out she had gone after at least three other officers the same way."

"Why did she pick on Orlov?" Danny asked.

"He was one of the officers involved in a sweep that had picked her up. He and the other three officers all had something in common; they were all wearing wedding bands, indicating they were married," Millie said. "None of them had slept with Cherry, but they had all picked her up for prostitution, or warned her about her activities, at some point or another."

"Did they pay her?" Lou asked.

"Two of them did; they were too afraid not to," Millie said. "Five grand each, and it seems she could put on quite the act, which is what the one who didn't pay found out; he wound up with IA on his case for weeks until he was cleared, but the damage was done."

"Would be," Chin said darkly, remembering his dark days when he had IA on his case.

"So I got in touch with everyone, including Orlov's captain, and we went after her," Millie said. "We set up a sting and Orlov got her to confess on video. To make sure the case couldn't be thrown out, I pulled in two detectives who had never crossed paths with Cherry or any of the other officers. Cherry was busted for extortion times four. I saved Orlov's career and his marriage and he hasn't forgotten that. When he heard about the possibility of a bomb trap, he called me without hesitation."

"Why didn't you tell us about Orlov?" Steve asked.

"Because it was a minor case that was off the books," Millie said. "I did it on my own time. Some good came of it; the officer that IA went after? IA officially and publicly cleared him, after I threatened to go public with the what I knew about what they had done. He's back on the job and in my debt."

"Nice," Callen said, grinning.

Now that the case was done and Rafferty was heading back to the Mainland to face charges, Hetty (after a little coaxing from Callen), allowed the NCIS team a few hours of play before heading back to L.A.

Steve took Callen and Sam, while Millie took Kensi and Deeks, as Kensi wanted to do some tourist-type shopping.

Several hours later, everyone regrouped at the airport.

When Callen and Sam saw Deeks climb out of Blackbird, they noticed he was limping.

"What happened to you?" Sam asked, grinning.

"Shoplifter had a real good kick," Deeks said, making his way towards the group. "I'm gonna see if there's ice on the plane, after I very, very carefully make my way up there. Why do the stairs have to be so high?" he moaned.

"A shoplifter did that to him?" Callen asked Kensi, eyes wide.

"Field goal right down the middle," Kensi said, grinning. "Dropped like a rock."

All four men winced.

"She caught the shoplifter though," Millie said, joining them.

"Yeah, right after he ran into your cane," Kensi said.

"It's made of koa wood; stuff's as hard as hell," Millie said, shrugging. "And this was a gift from a friend after my attack. Don't think he intended for me to use it quite like that."

"If it works, it works," Steve said, shrugging.

"And you'll have the full report on your desk in a few hours," Millie promised.

Hands were shaken, and hugs were given.

As Kensi hugged Steve, she spoke quietly. "She's a good one, and I don't mean just as a team member. Say hi to Joe for me."

He smiled at her. "I will," he said.

Now, if he could just make up his mind about what to do...

Later that night, at home, Steve snagged a beer and sat outside, watching the ocean. He forced himself to think. After all, both Millie and Catherine deserved to know what he wanted.

He brought up pictures of Millie on his phone, going through them, thinking, remembering.

The first day he'd met her, where she'd introduced herself after he'd helped Duke take down a drug-crazy prisoner. She had blushed when he'd smiled at her and her hand had been tiny compared to his.

He'd developed a trick of resting his chin on her head deliberately, just to annoy her, because she was short compared to him. That trick had stopped when she found his tickle spot, but he still did it every now and then, usually with his arm around her waist.

He remembered something that had occurred after Millie had told him about the loss of her beloved grandmother, something that had spoken loudly of her selflessness and kindness.

She had given Danny a two-day, three-night reservation for a Signature 1-bedroom Suite at the Disney Aulani Resort and Spa, located a half-hour drive from Honolulu. Instead of giving it to him as a gift, which would have demanded explanations about her financial security and possibly dented Danny's pride, she claimed she had won the reservation in some draw, but it was for two to five people and she had plans that weekend. The prize was all-inclusive, all expenses paid, and included a thousand-dollar cash spending money, and Danny could keep whatever was left.

_"Take Grace," she said. "Have fun; you'll be Dad of the Year in no time flat."_

_They were at a favourite after-hours hang-out, grabbing a drink and unwinding after a difficult case._

_"Why?" Danny asked suspiciously._

_"Because I'm never going to use the darn thing but I don't want to see it go to waste, you moron."_

_"Are you sure?" Danny asked, eyes wide._

_"Yes, I'm sure. I had a look at the room on their website. You and Grace can do whatever you want, and you can even bring Melissa with you; the master bedroom has a king-size bed, and there's a queen-size bed in the parlor (whatever the heck that is) plus a breakfast bar, and a tub you and Melissa could have fun with." She said the last part with a smirk, causing Danny to blush._

_When Steve looked at her, smiling knowingly, she smiled back, and he suddenly felt pain lance through his shin. He barely bit back the grunt of pain._

_"What's your problem?" Danny asked him._

_"Hit my ankle on the table," he said, reaching down to rub his leg, glancing at Millie, who looked concerned, as if she hadn't just kicked him in the shin._

The hour before Danny was to depart for the resort, she'd handed him an envelope of cash and said that the reservation was under his name, which she had taken care of when she'd called to confirm. Melissa, it seemed, would be joining them, and Grace had been bouncing up and down with excitement.

Steve had glanced at Millie, and she had glanced back at him, giving him a quick smile and a wink. Some things were best left unsaid.

There was the face painting she had done for Grace's school fundraiser.

He had agreed to the dunk tank thing as an excuse to hang with Millie. It turned out she had not been exaggerating about her skills as a face painter. She had been popular with the students, both boys and girls. She had also not hidden her appreciation of his physical form, which had been very visible under his soaked swim shorts and tank shirt.

_"Considering what you've seen me in, fair's fair," she said, grinning._

_"I'll make you a bet," he shot back._

_"Okay."_

_"If you can hit the target, you name your prize. If you don't, I name mine," he said, already knowing what he wanted. "You get three chances, just like everyone else."_

_"Deal," Millie said._

_The first two times she missed. The third time she got a gleam in her eye and spoke quietly to one of the watching teenage girls, who ran off and reappeared, carrying a baseball bat and giggling._

_"That's cheating!" Steve yelped._

_Millie smiled widely, accepting the bat. "Not in my book, buster!" And with that, she tossed the ball up and swung._

Steve wound up in the tank, and Millie claimed her prize later; a toe-curling kiss in the school parking lot.

There had been frustrating cases, ones where they had all worked long and late, and she had been there, more so after she had been given her badge.

How many times had she simple gone up to him and given him a hug and a soft reassurance that they would figure it out? Or rubbed his neck and shoulders, trying to get the knots out?

The Avengers coffee mug on her desk, filled with assorted pens, which she started leaving out just after she had joined them, with the unspoken understanding of helping themselves, after Lou had snitched her pens once too often. How often had he deliberately "misplaced" a pen just to have an excuse to chat with her, especially after the Nightshade mission?

The cuddles while watching a movie, no sex involved? The teasing? The bantering? The unexpected forehead kisses? The temple kisses he'd started giving her as a way of thanks when she did something to help them? The unspoken kindness she showed animal and human alike? Her unwavering faith and trust in him? The way she brought out the tender side of him?

The time he'd come down with a mild case of the flu. This same flu had been rapidly making the rounds with the rest of the team, with the exception of Millie, who had gotten her flu shot earlier in the year.

Danny had Melissa, Kono had Adam, Chin had Leilani, and Lou had Renee to baby them. Steve was on his own, or so he thought, until Millie had shown up, no word, no warning.

She had kicked him towards his shower, where he had found a bar of handmade, chest-soothing, skin-tingling soap called _Minty Tea Tree Soap _from some company called the _Rocky Mountain Soap Co_, and changed his sheets, throwing the other ones in the wash and throwing his blanket outside to air in the breeze. When he got out of the shower, he found clean sleep pants waiting for him.

She had warmed up a bowl of Chunky chicken noodle soup, made him a cup of ginger-mint tea, and generally taken care of him, going as far as doing housework. Then, using some kind of massage oil that smelled of lavender, she had made him lay on his stomach, and given him a back rub that put him to sleep.

When he had finally managed to pull himself out of bed the next morning, he had discovered several home-cooked dishes waiting for him in his fridge, the kind that simply needed reheating to be delicious again.

There had been a raid they had done about a week after Steve had helped Millie take care of the Hobbits. Millie had joined them, watching from a safe distance, to try and understand what it was, exactly, that they did. She had wisely worn a vest and Kevlar gloves, just in case.

Afterwards, she had gone in the house, Steve by her side, as he explained how the drugs were distributed. She had questions and he had answers.

Something, a sound maybe, a sight, had caught Millie's attention, and before he knew it, Steve was helping her into the tiny attic, flashlight in hand. After a yelp of pain, she had remerged, carrying a tiny, dirty, hissing little black kitten tucked protectively in her vest. The yelp of pain had been from where the kitten had nailed her arm.

_"Only you," Lou said, shaking his head in amazement, as the kitten started purring under Millie's gentle ministrations._

With bright yellow eyes and a fighter personality, the kitten wound up being adopted by one of the SWAT guys who had joined them on the raid. The last he heard, the kitten was being called Ace and was doing well. Lou was right; only Millie.

_What about Catherine?_ he asked himself. They had been together for a long time. Was he prepared to simply throw that all away, just because someone new had caught his attention?

Their respective jobs had not initially given them a lot of real time together, such as it was for couples in the Navy, or any armed forces. When they had managed to make time for each other, it was mostly sex, the occasional dinner date, and a conversation here and there.

She was good backup in the field and a good investigator. She was even a good friend.

The sex had been good; occasionally it was heated and passionate, but it was good. They knew each other, so there really wasn't much left to explore. It was comforting, basically.

Then Catherine had left the Navy and joined him and he thought they stood a chance to build a real, solid relationship. But even that had not happened because she had suddenly gone off to Afghanistan.

And now she was back. And he realized he was still waiting for her to take off again. _Just like last time._

But Millie, Millie had lived in the same apartment for seven years. She had been doing the same job, more or less, since she was eighteen (fifteen if you counted her community service thing), and she was twenty-eight now.

And when they were together? It turned out Millie liked to play. In public, she was conservative and dressed such. Even her bikini was conservative compared to what he had seen. Behind the bedroom door, however... Who knew those edible massage oils could be so much fun?

The more Steve thought and remembered, the more the decision became clear.

He made his choice.


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32

"Hey sailor, what's up?" Catherine asked, smiling at Steve, seeing him leaning against the tailgate of his truck.

They were at a beach location that he had called her to, saying he needed to talk to her in person, but not at the apartment she was staying at, and not at his house.

He smiled back, but it was a sad smile and she began to get nervous.

"You're aware I started seeing Millie before you came back?" he asked.

"That's what the others have said, yes," she said. "She seems like a nice person."

In truth, Catherine was a bit uncomfortable around the other woman. It felt like she was always being watched, and she wasn't sure what to make of things between Steve and Millie.

She had a bad feeling about this.

"It took me a little while to figure things out," he said. "I had to decide if I still had feelings for you and could continue our relationship, or let you go and try and continue developing a relationship with Millie."

Catherine swallowed hard. "What did you decide?"

"I love you, Cath, and you will always hold a special place in my heart, but when you told me not to wait for you, it hurt like hell," Steve said. "I didn't think I could move on, but then Millie joined us, and I started to move on. There's something there that's growing, and I want to see what it grows into."

"Does she love you?" she asked, fighting the rising tears.

"Yeah, I think she does. Because of the way she grew up and the loss she's experienced, she doesn't let people get too close to her, not the way she's let me," he explained. He reached out and touched her face tenderly. "I'm sorry, Cath. I know this isn't what you were hoping for."

"It's not, but you're right; I did tell you not to wait for me. I was half expecting it, anyway," she said, enjoying the contact one last time.

"The thing is, I have no guarantee you won't vanish on me again to God knows where, for God knows how long, and I don't want to go through that kind of hurt again," he admitted.

"And Millie? Is she the kind to stick around?"

"She lived in the same apartment for almost seven years and had been doing the same job since she was eighteen," he pointed out. "She's been with the HPD for almost seven years, before joining us about five months ago."

"And now? I don't think secretaries carry guns or a badge."

"To quote her, she still does the same job, just with a few extras."

"Can she shoot?"

"Yes. She carries a Ruger 9E in the field, the one her father, who is also a cop, taught her how to shoot with, and uses a SIG P938 as a backup or when she needs a smaller gun. She also has a mean bat swing, and is proving to be a very good mission controller."

Catherine nodded, ducking her head, resigning herself to the fact that Steve was letting her go and ending their relationship as lovers.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"Don't be. We had a good run, and it was fun. I hope she treats you right, or she'll have me to deal with," she replied, accepting his hug.

He chuckled. "Thanks. For everything," he said, meaning it.

"Cuts both ways, sailor."

And Catherine resigned herself to trying to let him go. After all, she had told him not to wait for her, and she had lost out as a result. As for Millie, she hadn't done anything except be there when she wasn't. Therefore, it was her own damn fault.

The next morning Steve saw Millie pull into her usual parking spot. She had taken to wearing loose Hawaiian floral print blouses and dresses that were easier for her to get over her cast and came from a local seller. Today she was wearing a sleeveless one and had a flower hair clip in her hair that matched the flowers on her blouse. He thought she looked pretty, as always.

She smiled when she saw him. "Hey there. Good morning."

He smiled back as he walked over to her. "Good morning, Nani." He helped her out of Blackbird and put his arm her shoulders as they headed inside. He kissed her temple and said, "Did you know I missed you while you were away on vacation?"

"Even though we spoke or texted pretty much every day?" she asked, liking the smell of his cologne or aftershave, whatever it was he was wearing. In a black shirt and pants, she thought he looked sexy.

He shrugged. "Not the same as you being there." He stopped her for a moment and guided her to one of the palm trees for a little privacy. "After Cath left, my life was empty," he said, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Now you're here, and I'm beginning to realize I need you, not just in the office or on the job, but in my life and in my arms. Hang around for a while, hmm?"

She smiled. "I can do that. I take it you figured things out?"

"I did. I spoke to Catherine last night in person, told her it was over between her and me, and that I had moved on. You don't have to worry about her."

"Good to know. Now, give me a proper kiss before we go in. There are bad guys to catch, and they wait for no one but themselves."

Grinning, he gave her a proper kiss. "Bossy," he said, holding her close.

"Yeah. And?"

He laughed, feeling as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders for the first time in a week.

Two weeks passed. Millie was finally able to get her cast off, revealing a pale, thin arm with scars around the wrist area. She would need weeks of careful rehab to regain the full mobility of her wrist, and would be setting off metal detectors for the rest of her life, but Millie didn't care; the blasted cast was off.

Things resumed a fairly quiet pace for a little while. Catherine stayed with them, acting as backup and another investigator.

Millie, for her part, accepted Catherine's presence, and tried to be a friend, deliberately ignoring the fact that the other woman had once been Steve's lover. Catherine, out of respect for Steve and following Millie's lead, tried to do the same.

Then trouble showed up.

The sky was threatening rain, causing Millie's wrist and arm to ache dully. As a result, she was wearing her favourite black wrist brace.

It was her day off, but she had been called in, which was happening more and more, thanks to her iPad, which had been integrated into the HPD system and allowed her access to the files and systems anywhere she went.

There had been a murder at a high-priced hotel, one that had a reputation for being discrete about their customer's requests, even if those requests included prostitutes. Such was the case of the nearly-naked young woman who had been found shot in one of the penthouse rooms. Her purse and driver's license had still been with her.

While Max attended to the body, the team was gathered in the hallway, outside of the room.

"According to the DMV and HPD, that's Cassandra Bullock, alright. She's got a record," Millie said, reading from her iPad. "Prostitution, solicitation, this darling was no stranger to the streets."

"That's some pretty high-priced lingerie she was wearing," Kono said. "Victoria's Secret, maybe even La Perla."

"Definitely Victoria's," Millie admitted. "I recognize the bra, and it ain't cheap." When she got a few wide-eyed looks from the guys, she snapped, "Where do you think my swimsuit came from?"

"Okay, this is her cellphone," Steve said, holding it up. "Think you can run it, maybe find out who wanted her dead?"

"Thanks to the lessons I've been getting from Chin, that shouldn't be a problem," Millie said, accepting the device. She had gotten into the habit of wearing the same black latex gloves as the rest of the team, and used a stylus-pen for her iPad.

"How are those lessons going?" Kono asked.

"Frightening," Chin said. "She's catching on fast."

"Too bad you haven't caught on to dressing better, even with all that money you stole from me, Wilma," a nearby woman said, glaring at Millie. "You still look like a cheap little nobody."

Several pairs of eyes went wide, and Millie slowly raised her head. Steve saw the resignation in her eyes and looked at the speaker. There was a strong resemblance to Millie. The woman had dark brown hair pulled back in an elegant coif and wore navy dress slacks, heels, and a nice burgundy short-sleeve blouse. She was glaring at Millie with hatred in her eyes, hatred and bitterness, Steve realized, moving a little closer to his girlfriend and seeing Danny do the same.

Millie turned around to look at the woman, looked down at her clothing (well-worn jeans, a large teal hooded sweatshirt with Grumpy Cat on the front, and black Skechers runners, her hair in a colourful bandana headband, and her wireless Bluetooth headset in her ear), and then looked back up at her.

"First of all, my name is Millie," she began coldly. "Second, it was my day off when I got the alert, and thirdly, who the hell are you?"

"You know damn well who I am, you spoilt brat," the woman hissed.

"I don't," said Steve, holding up his hand. "And I could use an introduction and an explanation as to why you're hassling her."

"Same here," Danny said.

"I'm Janice Bryant," the woman snapped, "and she's my daughter, Wilma, who stole close to a million dollars from me."

"Close to a million?" Danny repeated. He whistled. "How did this Wilma manage that?"

"None of your damn business," Janice snarled.

"Okay, fine," Danny said, holding up his hands. "But, uh, as Millie said, her name is Millie and we've met her mother. Very nice woman, by the way."

"Very," Steve agreed. "I can certainly see where Millie gets her charming personality from."

"Aww, I love you guys too," Millie said, grinning. Then she looked at Janice and said, "Now, if you're done blowing hot air, (God knows you're blowing enough to rival a hair dryer) I've got work to do, lady. Have a nice day."

And with that, she turned away, clearly dismissing the seething older woman. "I think we need to call a geologist, or a volcanologist," she said to Steve.

"Yeah? Why's that?" he asked.

"Because I think that blast of hot air smelled of sulphur," Millie said, wrinkling her nose.

"Could have just been a fissure," Steve said.

"A what? In English, please," Danny asked.

"A volcano that's more of a crack in the ground than a mountain," Millie said. "They're pretty common on Mauna Loa on Hawai'i Island. Had a visit there, and they're definitely all cracked up to be."

The laughter was interrupted by Millie suddenly being grabbed and spun violently around. She only just saw the hand coming for her face, and then stars and pain exploded.

"You little bitch!" Janice hissed. "I raised you, kept you even when I sure as hell didn't want to, and this is how you repay me? You are nothing but a spoiled, selfish, thieving brat! I should have dumped you at a church the day you were born! Don't you dare speak to me that way again!"

Millie shook her head, feeling Steve's hands under her arms and seeing Danny move between her and Janice, ready for the woman to take another swing, his hand on his gun. Her face stung and her ears rang, but otherwise she was ok.

"Wow," she said. "That was a good shot; I'll give you credit for that. Except for one big problem, Janice."

"What?" Janice snarled, not seeing Kono come up behind her, a nasty gleam in her eyes.

"The last person who hit me like that, he's doing time for assault," Millie said. She looked at Kono and said, "Get her, will you?"

Janice suddenly found herself being grabbed, shoved against a nearby wall, and her hands forced behind her back.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing to me?" Janice yelled, struggling against her. It got worse when Chin joined in on the fun.

She used every explicit word she could think of, and a few others the team didn't think was possible. While that was going on, Steve got a cold facecloth with ice wrapped in it, kindly offered by a watchful housekeeper, and handed it to Millie, who placed it against her bruised mouth.

Finally, Janice was cuffed and secured.

"You bitch! I'll get you for this!" Janice yelled, her once perfectly coifed hair now a bit of a mess as a result of the struggle.

"You done?" Steve asked. "Seriously? Because, right now, you are under arrest for resisting arrest, and for assaulting a peace officer."

"I slapped my daughter, asshole, who is most definitely not a fucking peace officer!" Janice yelled.

"Wrong," said Millie, reaching under her sweatshirt and pulling out her badge. She lifted up and adjusted the sweatshirt, revealing her holstered Ruger 9E on her hip. "Five-0 Taskforce. My name is Officer Millie Susan Thompson and you have the right to remain silent. Please do, by the way. Anything you say or do can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford one, one will be provided for you, or you could always call Peter, if he's still practicing his version of law. Do you understand this?"

"Fuck you, bitch!" Janice snarled, her face going pale. "This is false arrest and I'm going to sue your fucking ass off!"

"That's your choice," Steve said. He glanced at Kono and Chin, who were grinning in satisfaction. "You really need to get this woman out of here. Please."

"Gladly," said Kono.

"Enjoy your complimentary tour of Honolulu from the back seat of a police car," Millie said cheerfully.

Grinning, Kono and Chin frog-marched Janice out of the hallway to a nearby elevator, who yelled obscenities the whole way.

"Wow," said Lou. "That's your biological mother?"

"Eyup," Millie said, the laughter in her eyes dying as she watched Janice being led away. "I knew she hated me, but I didn't realize it was that bad." She plastered a smile on her face and shrugged. "Oh well. Can't win 'em all. Now, where were we?"

"You were going to take the victim's phone and run it," Lou said.

"That's right, and I will," Millie said. "Anything else?"

"No. I'm going to go have a chat with the front desk. You two, keep talking to witnesses and staff; someone should have heard or seen something," Steve said, leading her to a nearby elevator.

Once they were in the elevator, Steve took Millie's hand and hit the button for the second floor. Once there, he lead her to a stairwell and gathered her against him, while he leaned against a nearby wall.

"Don't try telling me you're good," he said, tucking her head under his chin.

"Okay, I won't," she replied, a smile in her shaky voice.

Then he felt something wet start to soak his shirt. He didn't say a word, just held her as tightly as she was holding him while she cried.

"Still hurts, hmm?" he said when her tears started easing off.

She nodded, snuggling close to him, needing the comforting contact. "I haven't really laid eyes on her since Peter tried to contest Gram's will," she admitted, her voice hitching. "Mom and Drew helped keep her away from me while I took care of Gram's house. Mike and Sean helped where they could. The last time I saw her, she called me a selfish, lying, bitch. She was a large part of the reason why I left Portland."

"She's poison, pure and simple."

"That she is. That's why it took me a long time to honestly believe that someone like Mom might actually want and care about someone like me. Fifteen years of her poison. Sometimes, when things are going bad, I still hear her voice."

"What does she say?"

"I eat too much. I dress like a slob. I'm lazy. Why on earth would anyone want me? I'll never amount to anything."

"Wow." He reached down and tucked a finger under her chin, making her look up at him. When she did, rubbing the tears from her eyes, he brushed away the ones on her face. "Tell you what; my place or your place, I don't care which, but after work today, we are going to spend some time together and I am going to show you just how wanted you are. Okay?"

"Okay." She smiled back, already thinking of a black and pink front-closure push-up bra and matching thong panties she'd bought on-line on impulse from _La Senza_ just after Steve had broken things off with Catherine.


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33**

As Lou and Danny took a quick break from chatting with the various witnesses, they spoke quietly.

"Man, now I understand why Millie kept things so close to the vest," Lou said. "With that woman for a mother, I'd be doing the same. Any idea what she meant about the million she claimed Millie stole from her?"

"I have no idea. The only thing I can think of is the inheritance from her grandmother, which would explain a few things," Danny admitted. "Beyond that, don't know, don't care."

"Fair enough, but if that nuthouse woman goes after Millie again, she's going to find herself caring about a lot of things," Lou said, "especially if I get my hands on her."

"You too, huh?" Danny asked, grinning. "Tell you what; we could always set Kawika on her, scare her a bit. I'm sure he'd have fun with that."

Lou looked at him with wide eyes. "You have been spending too much time around McGarrett. You know that, right?"

Steve rejoined them. "Just spoke to the hotel manager. The room was rented to the Hendry Corporation, and Sean MacIntosh Senior usually uses the room during business trips, but when we checked the cameras, it wasn't Sean MacIntosh Senior who checked in, but his son, Sean MacIntosh _Junior_," he said.

"Junior used the room?" Lou asked. "He married?"

"I don't know. Millie's running him now, and I got his cell phone number," Steve said. "Shall we?"

"Let's. I love ruining a pretty boy's day," Danny said, grinning.

Steve dialed the number.

"_Hello?_"

"Sean MacIntosh Junior?" Steve asked, putting his cellphone on speaker.

"_Speaking. Who is this?_"

"This is Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett, Five-0 Taskforce. We need to speak to you about the room you rented at the Aston Waikiki Beachside Hotel," Steve said.

"_I'm staying there, yes. What about it?_"

"We need to speak to you in person. We can do this at Five-0 Headquarters or if you can return to the hotel, we can talk to you in the lobby."

"_Do I need a lawyer?_"

"I don't know. Do you?"

There was silence then Sean spoke again. "_I'll meet you in the lobby, but I need to find my fiancé; she's not answering her cellphone and I'm getting worried_."

"What does she look like?"

"_Beautiful, blonde, brown eyes, got a cute little tattoo around her right ankle_," Sean said.

Steve watched as Danny stopped Max and checked the victim's right ankle. There was a tattoo around her ankle.

"What's her name?" Steve asked.

"_Cassandra Bullock. She was supposed to meet me at a beach about twenty minutes ago, but she hasn't shown up_," Sean said. "_She's not my fiancé yet, but I was going to ask her to marry me._"

"Sean, we really need to talk," Steve said. This had just gone from an interview to a death notification.

It turned out Sean knew about Cassandra's past as a prostitute and had even hired her at one point, but somewhere along the way, they'd fallen in love.

Was he sure, knowing Cassandra's past?

"She didn't want my money. She just wanted me. Did you know what her favorite thing to do was?" Sean asked, eyes red with tears. They were seated in the lobby and Steve had just broken the news to him about Cassandra. "Swimming in a little cove near her parent's home. This house, it was just a little run-down shack, but it was seconds away from this little cove, and she loved it. She was trying to save up enough money to be able to fix the house up properly. That was all she wanted."

"I'm sorry for your loss," Danny said. "Is there anyone you can think of who might have wanted to hurt her?"

"Not off the top of my head," Sean said. "Maybe her former madam? She didn't take it too well when Cassie quit the business."

"Do you know her name?" Lou asked.

"Not directly. I know she runs _Dream Date Escorts_, where I met Cassie, and Cassie called her Amanda a few times, but I don't know if that's her actual name," Sean said.

"We'll find out. Do your parents know about Cassandra?" Steve asked.

"My dad knew I was seeing someone but he's so busy running the company, he doesn't really pay much attention to my life, as long as I stay out of trouble," Sean admitted. "Mom, on the other hand, can be a bit difficult and a whole lot jealous. She accused Dad of having affairs and they had some nasty fights about it."

"Was he?" Danny asked.

"I don't know. If he was, he was. If he wasn't, he wasn't. I never heard or saw anything to suggest otherwise," Sean said, shrugging his shoulders. He took a deep, shuddering breath. "What's going to happen now?"

"Now, we're continuing to interview witnesses and CSU is continuing to process the room where Cassandra was found," Steve said. "We would ask that you not leave town for a while."

"Yes, sir," Sean said.

"One last question; where were you an hour ago?" Steve asked.

Sean pulled out a pretty blue ring box out of his jacket pocket and a receipt out of his wallet from a pricey jewelry store. The receipt was for a beautiful diamond engagement ring and was time-stamped about an hour ago. He was clear.

Then all three men's cellphone's beeped, signaling an incoming message.

_BANGARANG!_ the message read.

"Millie found something," Steve said, recognizing the word. She had picked it up from an old Robin Williams movie, _Hook_, and it was her expression for when she was excited about something.

"Not much more we can do here," Lou said.

"Right. Let's head back, see what Millie's got," Steve said, watching Sean walk away, shoulders slumped.

"That is one boy who just had his whole world shattered," Danny said, also watching Sean.

At Headquarters, Millie was bouncing with excitement. "Cassandra's cellphone recorded her death," she said excitedly. She tapped something on the computer table and a video on the screen began playing.

_"Hi Mom, hi Dad! Check out this view! Sean brought me here last night and we've been having so much fun! He's going to help me fix up the house, make it safe for all of us, just the way we want it," Cassandra chattered cheerfully. "I think he's up to something, because he asked me to meet him on the beach in about half an hour, said it was important."_

_There was a knock at the door and Cassandra went to answer it._

_"Yes?" Cassandra asked hesitantly, out of view of the camera._

_"So you're the blonde bitch who's screwing my husband," a female voice snarled._

_"I'm sorry, but I don't know who you are," Cassandra said, fear in her voice. "I'm staying here with my boyfriend, no one else."_

_There was a slapping noise and Cassandra cried out in pain. She staggered into view of the camera, being followed by a very angry woman with dark blonde hair, wearing a wine-colored power suit that screamed of money._

_"Lying, filthy, whore!" the woman screamed at her, ready to strike her again._

_Cassandra ducked the next swing but froze when the woman pulled out a small revolver from her purse._

_"What are you doing?" Cassandra asked fearfully._

_"If I can't have my husband, you sure as hell won't," the woman snarled. And she fired._

_Cassandra fell without a sound, the bullet having hit her square in the chest._

_The woman approached her, face cold, and looked down at her victim, who was bleeding out on the floor._

_"Die, like the dog you are," she snarled. She raised the gun and fired once more._

_Once she was sure Cassandra was dead, she grabbed a cloth and used it to open the door, leaving no prints behind._

"That explains why we didn't find any shell casings at the scene," Kono said.

"Who is she?" Chin asked.

Millie pulled up a DMV photo. "Meet Shania MacIntosh, the lovely wife of Hendry Corporation CEO Sean MacIntosh Senior."

"Gun?" Steve asked.

Millie pulled it up. "She bought a nice little Taurus 605 B2 revolver a month ago, paid cash. It uses five .357 Magnum rounds," she said cheerfully. "And it's registered."

"This is going to be the easiest case we've had all month," Danny said, rubbing his hands gleefully.

"Warrant for her arrest and the gun?" Steve asked Millie.

"Already on its way," Millie said, grinning. "Even if Shania lawyers up, we have the video and I have no doubt Charlie will do a ballistics test on the gun, as well as a gunshot residue test on Shania's hands."

"What if she washes her hands?" Steve asked, testing her.

"She can try, but with the way that suit of hers is designed, there's going to be residue on her cuffs and I'm betting the inside of her purse as well," Millie said. "Provided she doesn't wipe the gun down, her prints should also be on the gun."

"Why do you think she won't?" Danny asked.

"Her arrogance," Millie said. "Everything I've read about this woman says she's lives and breathes power. Power over people, power over money, power over her family, you name it. According to the tabloids, she once had a horse put down after it failed to win a race, and blacklisted the jockey who rode the horse. What's one dead hooker?"

"You're serious?" Kono asked, eyes wide.

"She's in the tabloids every other week over one thing or another," Millie said, pulling up articles that numbered in the dozens. "She's got PETA after her over the horse and her other horses, which she's got five of by the way, but she dabbles in untold number of charities and social events that make me dizzy just looking at the list. If it's big and name-grabbing, she's there."

"Yikes," said Lou, looking at the list Millie had pulled up.

"Thankfully the HSPCA isn't on the list; we're too low on the social totem pole for her to bother with," Millie said, smirking. "I'm betting she still has the gun and she hasn't wiped it down because it wouldn't occur to her to do so."

Then Millie's cellphone rang. It was Duke. She put it on speaker.

"Hey Dukey, what's up?" she asked.

"_Just had a woman by the name of Janice Bryant get booked for assaulting a peace officer and resisting arrest_," Duke said.

"I know; I'm the one she assaulted," Millie said. "What of it?"

"_She's screaming up a storm,_" Duke said. "_Saying someone named Wilma stole a million from her and how she was going to pay for the humiliation and on and on and on. What gives?_"

Millie bit her lip, debating how much to tell him. He was a friend, after all. _Oh, what the hell_.

"Janice is my biological mother," Millie admitted. "I haven't spoken to her since I was twenty-one, just before I left Portland."

"_Thought your name was Millie?_"

"It is, but before I had it legally changed when I was eighteen, I was Wilma May Bryant," Millie explained. "Drew was the one who started calling me Millie and the name stuck."

"_Okay,_" Duke said.

"As for the million, technically no, I didn't steal it. I inherited it from my grandmother, who willed me her life insurance and her entire estate," Millie said. "I've been sitting on it for almost eight years now."

Duke whistled. "_What made your grandma do that?_"

"When I was fifteen, I was arrested for beating the crap out of a high school bully who had been picking on another student," Millie admitted. "Janice washed her hands of me and Peter, one of my biological brothers who had just passed his bar exam, he said I deserved to be in jail. Gram didn't take too kindly to that. I think you know the result."

"_I get the picture, yeah_," Duke said. "_Well, that explains a few things. And the assault charge?_"

"I don't appreciate being slapped," Millie said. "Janice's mistake was doing it in front of the rest of the team. Kono and Chin cuffed her and she fought."

"_Not smart_," Duke said. "_You gonna go all the way with the charges or what?_"

"Is it worth the hassle?" Millie asked. "I just want her off my island."

"_True that. Tell you what; we can hold on to her for twenty-four hours. See how she likes being in a jail cell with the rest of the so-called low-life's_," Duke said.

"Thanks, Duke. Warn the guards though; she's got a mouth on her," Steve said, grinning.

"_I already know that! We can hear her yelling through the whole building!_"

"Dukey, small favor?" Millie asked.

"_Anything for you, Radar,_" Duke said.

"Now that you're aware of my financial status, could you sort of keep that little detail to yourself?" Millie asked.

"_You got it_," Duke said.

"Duke, keep your ears open; we're about to make an arrest in the Cassandra Bullock case," Steve said.

"_The lady who was murdered at that swanky hotel?_" Duke asked.

"You got it."

Duke whistled. "_That's going to be the fastest case closed on record for you guys. Keep me posted_."

"Will do. Thanks, Duke."

And Steve ended the call.

Millie glanced up at her friends. "What?"

"You're a freakin' millionaire," Lou said.

"If you want to get technical, yes," Millie said. "I'm also very careful about how I spend that money. My house is mine and so is Blackbird. Beyond that, I live within my means."

"Fair enough," said Danny. "Does that mean I can hit you up for a loan once in a while?" he teased.


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34

A warrant was granted for Shania MacIntosh and she was quickly located at the family's second penthouse, located in a very posh district of Honolulu.

"We have a warrant for the arrest of Shania MacIntosh, a search warrant, and a warrant for her gun," Steve said, handing Sean MacIntosh Senior the warrant.

"What?" Sean Senior yelped indignantly, going through the papers. "Mira, call Richard; tell him to get over here now!" he snapped at his dusky-skinned assistant, Harry Potter glasses perched on her nose.

Millie felt bad for the woman. She knew Shania was a holy terror around anyone she perceived as competition, and poor Mira probably had it tough with her. She looked as dowdy as possible, which was sad, given that she had a nice shape and nice face. Hopefully, after Shania was taken away, the woman could relax and dress nicer.

"What am I being arrested for?" Shania shrieked as Danny cuffed her. She was no longer wearing the suit jacket, but she was still wearing the matching skirt, and had a sleeveless pearl-colored silk blouse on as well.

"The murder of Cassandra Bullock," Steve said. "You thought she was sleeping with your husband and you confronted her, slapped her, and shot her."

"Liar!" Shania yelled. "You can't prove it!"

"Actually, we can," Danny said. "Cassandra had her cellphone video camera running at the time. She was making a special video to her parents when you came knocking."

"Except you screwed up," Steve said. "Cassandra wasn't sleeping with your husband; she was dating your son, Sean Junior, and he was about to propose to her."

"Oh my god," Sean Senior moaned.

"She was just another whore! I probably saved him from a stupid gold-digger!" Shania snarled.

"I don't think so," Danny said. "I think she genuinely loved him and I know he loved her, and that means you're going to have to do some serious explaining, sweetheart."

"Boy, does she ever," said Chin, joining them, holding up a black Taurus 605 B2 revolver. "It's shy two rounds and smells of burnt gunpowder." He smiled at Shania, who was looking a bit pale. "You do know what that means, right?"

Kono appeared, holding up a familiar burgundy suit jacket. "Recognize this? You wore it when you shot Cassandra. I'm betting we'll find gunshot residue on the cuffs."

"Somebody better read this woman her Miranda rights before certain people start having strokes," Millie advised.

"Finally! Someone sensible in all this," Shania snarled. "I have half a mind to sue you for harassment and false arrest!"

"If you had half a mind, you wouldn't have shot Cassandra Bullock," Millie shot back. "As it is, you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say or do can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford one, one will be provided for you, but somehow, I don't think that's going to be a problem. Do you understand these rights, yes or no?"

"I understand I'm going to sue you to the ground," Shania snarled.

"Shania, yes or no," Sean Senior said tiredly.

"Yes, you bastard," Shania hissed at hm. "I understand you couldn't keep it in your pants! All your business trips! All those escort agencies! Did you think I wouldn't find out about them?!" Shania yelled. "And you, you stupid, negro bitch! Covering up for him! You're nothing but dirt and you always will be!"

"Danno?" Steve asked, looking at his partner.

"Let's go," Danny said to Shania. "Before I go deaf from all your screaming."

"I'll give you a hand," Lou said.

As Shania was led away, Steve and Millie turned to Sean Senior.

"What now?" he asked.

"I think you've got a pretty good idea," Steve said.

"Do you really have video evidence of her murdering that poor woman?" Sean Senior asked.

"I'm afraid so, sir," Millie said.

"Now, you're going to have to deal with your son," Steve said.

"How the hell am I going to do that?" Sean Senior moaned. "I knew he was seeing this nice girl, but I had no idea she was a prostitute!"

"Former," Steve said. "She'd left the profession and was trying to save up enough money to fix her parent's house, where she apparently loved swimming. Your son said he would help her."

"From what I read, sir, Cassandra genuinely loved Sean. She didn't want his money, or his lifestyle. She just wanted him and his love," Millie said.

Sean Senior ran a hand across his face, looking older beyond his years. "I knew she was jealous and this thing about other women..." He laughed tiredly. "I don't have time for other women! I don't even dare! But I never thought she'd go this far!"

"Well, she did," Steve said. "And someone innocent paid the price for that."

"What do I do now?" Sean Senior moaned, sitting down heavily on a nearby chair.

"Take care of your son. Give your wife the lawyer she has a right to, but take care of your son," Millie said. "And seriously think about getting a divorce."

Sean Senior nodded.

"Let's get out of here," Steve said to Millie, looking at the older man almost sadly. "We've done all we can here.

Millie wound up at Steve's place that night, after stopping at her place for an over-night bag and a slight change of clothes.

Steve had planned on a slow, calculated seduction, but that changed five minutes after she got in the door.

"I don't want slow," she panted, kissing him frantically, yanking his shirt up so she could feel his skin under her hands. "I need you, now. Please. I'll do whatever you want, later, but please, take me now."

He took her on the kitchen table, just as she asked, then took her to his room, and seduced her slowly for the remainder of the night. He also decided he definitely liked front-closure bras.

"You know, if you need to, there are counselors available to help you deal with your mother," he said at one point.

She smiled up at him. "I know. Mom and Dad put me through with one after they took me in, and I saw one during my first year here. It still hurts, and it probably always will, but I'm stronger and better. First thing in the morning, though, I'm buying Janice a one-way ticket back to Portland. She is getting the hell off my island."

"Sounds good. Do you want to deal with her, or shall I?"

"I'll let you. I don't want anything to do with her. Try not to enjoy it too much, okay?"

"Oh, I can think of a few things I'd rather enjoy," he said, running his hands up her body before stopping to cup her breast, enjoying the hiss of her breath at the contact.

_The next morning:_

"Janice Bryant," a male voice said. "Enjoying your stay?"

Janice looked up and spotted a familiar man standing in front of the bars. He had been with Millie and defended the little bitch. Janice hated him.

"What do you want?" she snarled.

"Peace on Earth, a cold beer, and maybe a double scoop of ice cream, but I'll settle for you getting over here," he said. "Unless, of course, you'd like to stay here longer?"

Janice got up and moved to stand in front of him. "Now what?"

"Now you shut up and listen, because I don't really want to repeat myself," the man said.

Eyeing his muscular form, his arms clearly visible under the rolled up sleeves of his brown dress shirt, Janice was forced to admit this man was very easy on the eyes. Maybe if she played her cards right, she could get out of this hellhole a little faster and have a little fun while she was at it. She always did like younger men, and this fine specimen fit the bill nicely.

"My name is Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett, Five-0 Taskforce," Steve began. "I am Officer Millie Thompson's boss, as well as her representative in this matter."

"That's fine," Janice said. "May ask why she can't visit me herself?"

Steve smiled coldly. "I think you know why. Millie wants nothing to do with you and has nothing to say to you. According to her, you don't exist, and quite frankly, after what I heard you say to her, I really don't blame her."

"Fine. No big loss. What about this crazy assault charge? It was just a terrible misunderstanding and Wilma knows I have a temper," Janice said, moving closer and looking at him coyly. "What she said wasn't very nice, you must admit."

"I know what she said," Steve reminded her. "But that's no excuse for your behaviour, past or present."

"I don't know what that little-" Janice began, starting to lose her temper again, but froze when Steve held up a warning finger.

"That little bitch, as you like to call her, is a respected member of my team," he said. "Watch your mouth, or you will not be going home for quite a while."

Janice swallowed hard, seeing the ice in Steve's eyes. Playing cute was not going to get her out of this mess faster, it seemed.

"Now, Millie has decided to drop the charges," Steve said, "but there's a catch involved."

"What?" Janice asked.

Steve held up an envelope. "This is a one-way flight ticket back to Portland and it leaves tonight. You get on that flight and you never set foot on O'ahu again. Is that understood?"

"You can't stop me from coming back!" she shrieked.

"No, I can't," he admitted. "But I can make your life a living hell the minute you do." He smiled coldly and waved the envelope. "It's real simple. If you stay, the charges will be pressed and you will spend time in one of our lovely prison centres. An assault charge against a peace officer is a nasty thing to carry around and will pop up every time a cop even runs your name." Janice gulped. "You leave, voluntarily, and never, ever contact or speak to Millie again, and the charges get dropped. Your choice, but you have five seconds and counting." He held up a hand and started ticking off his fingers.

"Fine, fine! I'll go! But that bitch owes me! She stole what was rightfully mine!" Janice yelled.

"No, she didn't. You blew it when you turned your back on your daughter when she was fifteen, and let that sorry excuse of a son of yours tell a frightened teenage girl that she deserved to be in jail," Steve shot back. "Whatever she may have done, she did not deserve that, not for defending another girl against a bully, a bully who had already caused another student to commit suicide. You turned your back on Millie, Gram turned her back on you. It's that simple. I have never hit a woman, except in a fair fight, but I would gladly make an exception to that, for you. You get off this island and you do not come back, and if I have to, I will haul you over my shoulders and personally put you on that flight, hogtied if need be."

His words and his voice booked no argument, and said very clearly he would do just that. Janice tried not to shiver. "Fine. Now, can I get out of here, _sir_?"

He smiled and gestured at the guard. The guard unlocked the door, letting Janice out. He handed her the envelope containing the fight ticket and said, "Have a nice flight home." Another officer approached her and lead her away to be released.

Janice decided she hated Steve, she hated Honolulu, and she really, really hated Millie Thompson.

"_I'll get her for this. One way or another, I will get her for this_," she swore silently.


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter 35**

"Are you serious? IA is going after Millie? Why?" Chin demanded. He listened for a moment, then said, "She's in the middle of a case! If IA goes after her now, they'll blow her cover! Damnit! No, don't be sorry. I appreciate you telling me. Thanks, man."

He hung up, and hit another button for speed-dial. "Steve, we've got a big problem. Millie is about to be investigated by IA. If they go after her while she's undercover, they could blow this big time." He listened to his boss curse. "Janice? Yeah, I'm thinking her too. She did threaten to cause trouble for Millie, and the kind of money she's sitting on would be cause for suspicion. We do not need this, not right now." Again, he listened. "Yeah, okay, I'll do that. He shouldn't be too hard to find. Warn Millie. All right, catch you later."

Chin thumbed off his cellphone and headed for Millie's office. Snagging her Rolodex, he started flipping through the cards, not sure who he was looking for, but knew the person had to be based in Portland.  
He found a curious entry in the back of the J's. It was a string of numbers and just the letter _J_ in place of the name. _What the heck?_

He shrugged. Another one of Millie's mysteries.

"_Kyle, Bennett, and Associates_," he read, finding someone in the K's. "_Sasha Bennett, Portland, Oregon._ Gotcha." He picked up Millie's phone and dialled the number. This was going to be fun to explain.

Millie stared at the sixteen year-old teenage girl in the school uniform, who smirked at her. How the hell had she gotten herself into this? She had just announced she was the substitute teacher for the Home Economics class for the rest of the week and the girl had just given her lip about her stepping out and letting them do what they wanted for the whole class. She had also refused to put away her cellphone after Millie's announcement that the devices were to be turned off and put away.

Well, Michael Roseberry, the school headmaster, did give her full permission to do as she wanted with this class.

_Fine._

She picked up an egg in one hand and casually strolled over to the girl, keeping the egg hidden.

"Amy Evans, right?" Millie asked, leaning against the bench desk.

"Yeah, so?" the girl shot back.

"I'm betting you're one of those snobby little brats who think this class is a roaring joke and you're only taking it for the credit, that things like cooking and baking skills have absolutely no bearing on you because you'll always pay some other poor sap to do that, and the cleaning," Millie said. "Am I right?"

"It's the difference between you and me," Amy said sweetly. "I'll always have money. You won't. And those who have money, rule those who don't, and since you clearly don't, I think you know where you stand with me."

Millie smiled and leaned close. "That's where you're wrong, darling." And with that, she slammed the egg down on the desk, right near the edge. The gooey mess splashed everywhere, making Amy shriek and raise her hands defensively, cellphone in one hand. Millie grabbed the cellphone and put it in the back pocket of her stone straight-leg twill jeans. "Do I have your attention now?" she asked softly.

"You crazy bitch!" Amy yelled.

"I see that I do. Now you listen to me, and you listen good. This is my classroom, and that means the minute you step foot in here, I rule, not you. You want to see how far you can push me? Go for it. You think this is bad? It can get a lot worse," Millie hissed. "As for your precious cellphone, it's mine until the end of class. Count yourself lucky I don't delete the contents, and trust me, I can." She looked at the rest of the class, who were staring at her, eyes wide. "Anyone else want to play stupid with me?" No one dared to answer. "Good. Cellphones off and away. _Now_."

There was a flurry of activity as twelve students scrambled to put their cellphones away.

"Good. Let's continue," she said, removing her hand from the raw egg and heading back to the front of the classroom.

"What about this mess?" Amy shrieked.

Millie rinsed her hand off under the tap and then dried it with a sheet of paper towel from a roll, before tossing it at the girl. "Have fun, but don't get it on your clothes, and if you do, don't use hot water."

"You can't do this to us!" Amy yelled angrily.

"Uh, Queen Bee, I think she just did," said the boy sitting beside her.

"Shut up!" Amy yelled at the boy. Then she turned back to Millie. "I'm going to set Headmaster Roseberry on you, see how fast you keep your precious job!" she yelled.

Millie laughed, getting out a seven quart Kitchenaid mixer, and placing it on the counter. "Good luck with that, princess. For the next hour, you're mine, and I would suggest you pay attention because I'm not known for standing still." She turned and flipped the oven on, setting it to a familiar temperature, then reached for the margarine in the fridge, a measuring cup, and a small spatula. "Now, who knows the difference between butter and margarine?" Millie asked, scooping margarine into the cup. When no one raised their hand, she looked around. "No one? Not even a guess? Fine. Butter is made from milk, and can be salted or unsalted. Margarine is made from oil, primarily canola but sometimes olive or corn oil is used. A lot of baking recipes call for butter, but there are some recipes that use margarine, like this one." She scraped the margarine into her mixing bowl then picked up an egg. "What the difference between a brown egg and a white egg?" Again, no one raised their hands. She cracked the egg into her bowl, shaking her head. "Jeeze. News flash, ladies and gentlemen (and that's a contradictory in terms), wakey-wakey. You don't start paying attention, you are going to flunk your assignment so badly it will be unreal. The answer is; other than the way the bird ate and the cost, absolutely nothing. An egg is an egg." She tossed the shell into the compost bucket and cracked another egg, continuing. "High in protein, used in a lot of recipes, shells are fabulous compost material, and some people are allergic to the protein in eggs."

One girl, a shy-looking girl with black hair in a low ponytail, raised her hand slowly, almost shyly.

Millie glanced at her seating chart. "Yes, Sasha?"

"Why are eggs used so much?" the girl asked quietly.

"That's a fair question," Millie said, adding flour to her mix. "Egg is a binder. When it solidifies, it basically glues everything together. Have any of you had meatloaf?" Again Sasha raised her hand. "There's egg in that; keeps the meat together."

Again Sasha raised her hand. When Millie acknowledged her, she asked, "What about the oatmeal?"

"Oatmeal acts as a sponge for the fat," Millie explained, adding vanilla extract. "Gives the meat a bit of texture and flavour."

As Millie continued with her lecture, she continued to bake. Fifteen minutes later, she was pulling her first batch of dried pineapple and white chocolate chip cookies out of the oven. Ten minutes later, she had the second batch ready. She put the cookies on a tray and instructed the class to take one each.

"This is a very simple recipe, and it's one of my favourites because the base is always the same, but I can change up the add-on's as I want to," Millie explained. "Your homework tonight is to find a baking recipe that can be done in forty-five minutes or less, and that includes baking time."

"That's easy," Amy snarked, having managed to get the egg cleaned up, but not before getting it on the floor.

"Not really. You see, you're going to be baking that recipe and giving it to the school staff at the end of the week," Millie said, smiling. "You will be graded on your efforts, the simplicity of the recipe, your food safety, and how well you perform the prep work, which will include budgeting and shopping."

"Wow," Sasha breathed, looking excited about the prospect.

"Your budget limit will be thirty dollars, cash only," Millie said. "So look carefully. Plan carefully. And no credit cards allowed; you will lose marks because you'll be handing in the receipts as part of your assignment, which means I'll know."

"That's not fair!" Amy snapped.

Millie smiled brightly, spreading her hands. "Welcome to the real world, sweetheart! My rules, my way, but if you want to get stupid, that's fine too! I have a recipe for that, if you're interested." Then her eyes went cold. "It's called _Automatic Failure_. Would you care for a taste?"

Amy gulped.

_P.E. sub is DDG!_

_OMG! He ran circles round T-Boy!_

_He be killing us..._

_I wanna marry him!_

_I want 2 die I hurt so much  
_  
Steve grinned at the sweating, moaning, and groaning students laying on the grass. He was breathing a bit hard, but otherwise he was fine.

"Seriously?" he asked, hands on his hips.

"Let me guess; this was just breakfast for you," one of the students groused, panting.

"Snack," Steve shot back. "I go hiking on the weekends and a daily run during the week."

"He's gonna kill us," another student moaned.

Steve grinned even wider. "Half of you are already flunking this class. A quarter of you are well on your way to that, and the other quarter stand a chance. Just," he said. "And this is supposed to be one of the best private schools on the island?"

"Oh come on, man! Most of us are gonna be too busy with college to care about phys ed," another student, Tyler Metcalf, whined.

"First of all, it's _Mister Houston_ to you. Second of all, obesity is one of the biggest growing health issues in the nation," Steve shot back. "What you do today will decide your health tomorrow. Thirdly, that apparent lack of respect just cost you a lap around the track."

"What!" Tyler yelped.

"I can make it two," Steve threatened. "Up and at 'em. Let's go." Moaning, Tyler got up and started a loping run around the high school track. "As for the rest of you, you might want to start on those stretches before your muscles start cramping up. It can get real painful, real fast," he said, sitting down on the grass and stretching his legs out in front of him.

As the exhausted students started doing the same thing he was doing, he mentally reviewed what he knew.

Two days ago, a student from a prestige private high school had been found dead in an area of town known for trouble. Her name was Tasha McConnors, and she had been shot in the back of the head at close range, and left at a bus stop, made to look like she was simply sleeping, until someone had tried to wake her up.

Her wallet, which had contained her school identification, had still been in her backpack, along with a notebook that contained pages of written code no one could make heads or tails of. Also, the girl had been in street clothes and carrying about forty dollars in small bills, which had been left untouched. The same with her cellphone, once Chin had gotten it unlocked.

The last message she'd sent had been to someone named _brascohill1881 ._ There had been no name attached to the address, just a message.

_Following B. Perv is up 2 ST again._

There had been a reply, but it had never been read.

_BC._

Photos showed the girl and another girl, some in selfies, giggling at the camera, during what looked like some kind of carnival, but beyond that, there was nothing worth killing a sixteen year-old girl over.

Now, Steve, Millie, and Kono were undercover at the school, trying to find out what it was that Tasha knew that got her killed, and who _brascohill1881_ was, before someone killed again.


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter 36**

"Lili'uokalani was the last monarch of the Kingdom of Hawaii and the only queen regnant in our history," Kono said. "At the time of her death on November eleventh, nineteen-seventeen, she had written several songs. Your assignment is to find one of those songs and write an essay on what you think the song means or pertains to. This is due on Wednesday. Tomorrow we'll be going to the library to allow for research and writing time."

The bell rang and twenty students filed out of the classroom, chattering and shuffling books and bags. Kono sighed heavily. Already she could see that none of the students they were targeting had handwriting that even came close to the writing of the mysterious Ash2.

Ash2 had been the author of a letter written in Tasha McConnor's notebook, written in the same code they were having trouble cracking.

The second girl in the photos on her cellphone had been her cousin, Henrietta Dawson, and they had brought her in.

_"I know she was on to something big," Henrietta admitted, tearing the tissue Danny had given her. "I don't know what, thought, but she said it was important, really important. What could have been so important someone would kill her over?"_

_"I don't know, but we're going to find out," Steve promised._

_"What was she like?" Danny asked._

_"Curious. She was constantly asking questions, constantly digging, doing research on one thing or another," Henrietta admitted. "She said she wanted to be the next Barbara Walters, whom she idolized, or even Helen Thomas, that famous White House reporter. But she cared, too. She did a really nice story on the Adopt-a-Thon the HSPCA had, for the school newspaper. I think she sent them a copy and they framed it."_

_"Do you recognize this code?" Steve asked, showing her a sample of the writing._

_"No, but I'm not surprised," Henrietta admitted. "I think she developed it with another girl, but I don't know who. She said she knew the value of keeping some things a secret, and I guess that's what this is."_

They had gone to the school and explained the situation. Michael Roseberry had been upset about the murder and even more upset about the possibility that Tasha had uncovered something that may have gotten her killed.

_"I didn't know her well, but from what little I did know, she seemed like a good kid," he said. "What do you need from me?"_

_"We need to find this Ash2," Chin said._

_"Ash could be short for Tasha, Ashley, Sasha, any of those name variations," Roseberry admitted._

_"And if we start bringing those girls in, we could scare off the one we're looking for, or even Tasha's killer," Lou said._

_"And have a dozen or more parents screaming at me," Roseberry said. "Do any of your people know how to teach?"_

Thanks to a bit of backstopping work, Millie had become Wilma Bryant, Steve was now James Houston, and Kono was Mae Li, teaching Hawaiian History. They had until the end of the week to try and locate Ash2, or the case would go cold and they would be forced to move on. Meanwhile, Danny, Lou, and Chin, would work with Tasha's family and known friends to try and figure out just what she had been up to.

Millie danced through the halls, dancing to _Wake Up_, by Hillary Duff, deliberately ignoring the other students. Then she "accidentally" bumped into Ashleigh Dowd, another girl on their list, causing her to spill her book bag.

"Oh! I'm so sorry, sweetie," Millie yelped, helping the girl get her stuff back, but deliberately flipping a notebook open. "_Hello,_" she thought, glancing at the handwriting; it was very similar to Ash2's writing. She spotted a book called _Five Days In November,_ by Clint Hill.

"That looks interesting," she said, handing the book back to the girl. "Is it a good read?"

Ashleigh nodded, accepting the book.

"What's it about?" Millie asked.

"The five days surrounding JFK's death, as seen by Clint Hill, the Secret Service agent who was assigned to protect Jackie Kennedy," Ashleigh admitted. "He wrote another one, called _Mrs. Kennedy And Me_, but I can't find it at the library."

"Does he interest you, or is it his profession or?" Millie asked.

"His profession," Ashleigh admitted. Seeming to sense that Millie was genuinely interested, she confessed, "My brothers say I'm too short to be a cop, but a girl can dream, right?"

"Your brothers say you're too short to be a cop?" Millie repeated, eyes wide. "Sistah, I know a girl who's a head taller than you and she's a great cop. If you want to be a cop, then be a cop. Heaven knows we don't have enough of them as it is." Then, acting casual, Millie said, "Did you hear about Tasha ? Poor girl was murdered, and the Five-0 Taskforce is investigating."

Ashleigh's face went pale. "Do you think they know anything?"

"Don't know; they're not saying," Millie said. "But I would hope that if someone did know something, they'd come forward and say something. That poor girl deserves justice." She clucked her tongue and made to move away. "Anyway, sorry about that, sweetie. Happy reading." Then she snapped her fingers. "Come to think of it, I have a book you might be interested in. It's by an FBI profiler by the name of David Rossi, called _Evil Never Rests._"

Ashleigh's face lit up. "Is it good?"

"I love his books," Millie said. "I even got a chance to meet him when he was in town for a lecture and he signed the book for me."

"Wow!"

"Stop by my classroom in the morning, and I'll lend it to you," Millie said.

"Thanks!" Ashleigh said, clearly excited at the prospect of getting her hands on the book. "See you tomorrow!"

Millie watched her walk away, noticing the _Phineas and Ferb_ backpack with Perry the Platypus on the back. As she did, she remembered something.

_Phineas and Ferb... Ferb... Agent Perry the Platypus... Perry... Agent... Cop... Hill was a Secret Service agent... brascohill1881_

Millie yanked out her iPad and did some fast typing, using the keywords Brasco and law enforcement. She got a hit.

_ Donnie Brasco was the undercover name of Joseph Pistone, an FBI agent who brought down the New York Bonanno mafia family... _

1881 and events in law enforcement also got a hit.

_OK Corral Gunfight was in 1881, and so were the Earp brothers... Wyatt Earp... _

_And Ashleigh wants to be a cop, but her brothers say she's too short... Like Perry the Platypus..._

_Ferb... those words had 'erb' in them, backwards... brelrai became iarlerb became iar and lerb, which became liar and erb..._

_Ferb Latin..._

"BANGARANG!" Millie suddenly yelled, startling some nearby students. "Thank you Disney!" She yanked out her cellphone and hit Steve's speed-dial number.

"I heard the yell," Steve said upon answering. "What did you find?"

"The piggin' code!" Millie hissed. "Grab Mae and the others. Meet me back at HQ."

"Hearing you loud and clear," Steve said. "Good work."

As she ended the call, Millie tore down the hall, searching frantically for Ashleigh Dowd; the girl was suddenly their chance to break the case.

She spotted the girl leaving the building and heading for the bus.

"Ashleigh!" Millie called, digging through her bag for one of her business cards, just in case.

The girl stopped and waited for her to catch up.

"I just got a call from that friend of mine, the short one who's a cop," Millie said. "Would you like to meet her? She's over at Five-0 Headquarters."

"Sure, but I have to let my mom know," Ashleigh said, curious.

"You can use my phone, if you want," Millie said, offering the girl her cellphone, but switching it straight to the dialing section so she didn't see the picture of her and Steve.

Ashleigh called her mom, who gave her permission, but reminded her to be home by supper time.

"Thanks Mom," Ashleigh said happily. She handed Millie her phone back and said, "I can go with you."

"Good. Blackbird's this way," Millie said.

When Ashleigh saw the Jeep, her eyes went wide. "That is so cool!"

As they drove through Honolulu, Millie instructed Ashleigh to look in the glove compartment. The teen's eyes went wide when she saw the gold badge and her gun.

"My name is Officer Millie Thompson, sweetie, and I'm part of the Five-0 Taskforce," Millie explained. "We're investigating Tasha McConnor's murder and we need your help."

Ashleigh stared at her, eyes wide, conflicting emotions crashing through her. "Why me?"

"Because the last message Tasha received was from someone named _brascohill1881_, and you mentioned wanting to be a cop," Millie explained.

"So?" Ashleigh asked, trying to appear brave, but looking more like a scared teenage girl.

"So, Donnie Brasco was the undercover name of Joseph Pistone, the FBI agent who brought down a New York mafia family. Clint Hill was a Secret Service agent assigned to protect Jackie Kennedy, and in 1881, the Earp brothers got into a fight at the OK Corral," Millie said. "All law enforcement. Plus, the code you and Ashleigh used, that's Ferb Latin, and you have Perry on your backpack, and he's one of the coolest agents around."

Millie pulled up to Headquarters, and spotted Steve and Kono doing the same.

"We need your help, Ashleigh, so we can get justice for your friend," Millie said. "Tasha didn't deserve to die like that, no matter what she may have done or heard or whatever. Help us help her."

Ashleigh stared at her, eyes filling with tears. Steve and Kono joined them.

"Are they also Five-0 too?" Ashleigh asked, taking a swipe at her eyes.

Everyone nodded.

"Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett, Officer Kono Kalakaua. Kono's the one I told you about," Millie explained. "The others are probably inside. They're all a good bunch and two of them have kids of their own."

"Is it true that Governor Jameson was the one who originally helped you start up Five-0?" Ashleigh asked, finding it hard to believe she was actually talking to one of the best law enforcement teams on the island, and they weren't treating her like an idiot.

"Governor Jameson and me," Steve said, nodding. "At the time, it was her backing and my rules. I brought in Sergeant Detective Danny Williams, who was investigating my father's murder, and we brought in Lieutenant Detective Chin Ho Kelly, who had been trained by my father when he was still a cop."

"I'm Chin's cousin, and I was about to graduate from the academy and they needed a fresh face for some undercover work," Kono said. "We brought in Captain Lou Grover a while ago, after he retired from SWAT, and Millie was hired by Governor Denning a few months back."

"Her brothers think she's too short to be a cop, and it seems that's what she really wants to be," Millie said.

Kono and Steve grinned. "Let me tell you something. Kono, as you can see, is considerably shorter than I am, and she kicks ass like nobody's business," Steve said. "If you want to be a cop, then tell your brothers to go jump into a volcano. A lot of good cops aren't that tall. It's not about height; it's about heart."

Ashleigh worried her lip and fiddled with her backpack strap. "Why was Tash killed?"

"We don't know," Kono said. "All we do know is that she had found something big and important but she didn't tell anyone that we've spoken to and all we have is a notebook full of code."

"I know the code," Ashleigh admitted. "We kinda developed it together."

"Do you know what she was working on?" Steve asked.

"I'm not really sure, but she said it was big and it was going to ruin someone's life the same way he'd ruined a lot of other lives," Ashleigh admitted. "If I help you, can I see what you guys do?"

Millie glanced at Steve and Kono, who smiled.

"Oh, I think we can work something out," Steve said, already planning on sending the girl on a ride-along with Lou.

"In the mean time, onward and upward," Millie said, getting out of Blackbird.

They headed inside, with Ashleigh's mouth dropping and eyes going wide as she looked around. Upstairs, in Headquarters, she was introduced to Danny, Lou, and Chin, and watched as Millie gave someone named Jarod a hug.

Jarod was interesting, with his dark hair, laughing dark eyes, and quick smile that spread across his face.

"Hey," he said, laughing. "It's so good to see you again."

"Same here. How long are you here for?" Millie asked, checking him over. He seemed to be okay.

"Until Miss Parker shows up again," Jarod said, grinning. "What's up with Ferb's Latin?"

Millie stared at him. "How long did that take you to figure out?"

"Less than two minutes," Jarod said, shrugging. "It's easy once you figure out the encryption key."

"Of course. How much did you translate?" Millie asked, leading him to the computer table.

"Just the first page," Jarod said. "It was interesting reading. Took me a few seconds to realize that some of the words weren't Ferb Latin but Hawaiian words written backwards."

"Good. You get to translate the rest in a sec. Guys, this is Jarod, an old friend and an old hand with cases like these," Millie said. She did introductions and then explained the case. "What do you think?"

Jarod's eyes were darting across the screen. "May I?" he asked, indicating the table.

"Help yourself," Millie said. She moved to one side to speak quietly to Steve.

"He's CIA and the best of the best," she said quietly. "Met him about two years ago on my flight to Portland for Drew's wedding. While we were there, he took down a drug smuggling ring hidden inside an ice cream making company. Did in a week what the DEA had spent six months trying to do."

Steve's eyebrows went up. "Last name?" he asked.

"Don't know. He changes it every other week."

"Okay. Do you trust him?"

"I do. He's a genius with an IQ that's off the charts, and most of the time he's a sweet, kind man, with a love of life unlike anything I've ever seen. However, if he finds out people, especially kids, have been hurt because of someone's cruelty, then we've got a problem," Millie admitted.

"That could be a problem," Steve said.

"Only if you seriously piss him off," Millie said. "He's a good man with a heart of gold. Trust me on this one."

"Okay," he said after a moment. But that didn't mean he wasn't going to give Joe White a call.

They rejoined the team at the table and Millie quickly realized something was wrong with Jarod. There was a sadness and growing horror on his face she'd seen before.

"Hey," she said softly. "What's wrong, Jar-Jar?"

"Based on what I'm reading," Jarod said carefully, flipping through the screen images at a rapid pace, "Tasha found something big. Real big."

"What? What'd she find?" Danny asked.

"She found, what appears to be, based on her descriptions and the people she talked to, she found a child prostitution ring," Jarod said, starting to breath heavily.

"A child... a child pros... a child prostitution ring?" Lou repeated, staring at Jarod, before looking at the screen. "She found a child prostitution ring? How?"

Jarod started doing some fast typing. "This is a simple encryption program," he explained. "It'll translate the words for us faster than I can explain." In seconds, the computer was translating Tasha's notebook. "She didn't use complete sentences, more like shorthand notes. I'm seeing dates, locations, descriptions." His brow furrowed. "Did you find a flashdrive or a memory card anywhere with her or among her personal effects?"

"No, why?" Chin asked.

"Several times she references photos taken," Jarod said, indicating several phrases. Then he highlighted a name. "James Joseph Jackson, which later becomes T-J. Triple J. Makes sense."

"Why does that name sound familiar?" Steve mumbled.

Chin was already on it. "Because he's the major benefactor of the same school Tasha and Ashleigh go to," he said, pulling up a photo and series of internet articles.

"I've seen him around the school," Ashleigh admitted. "He seems okay, but he's kinda creepy. Can't really describe it, but he makes me nervous." She rubbed her arms.

"And he's involved in it up to his neck," Jarod growled. "Seems he's a regular." He suddenly smiled, but it wasn't a nice smile. "And Tasha had proof."

"We need to find those photos," Steve said. "And we need to find that ring, fast."

"Maybe that's what Tasha meant by ruining someone's life, someone who had already ruined a lot of other lives," Ashleigh said.

"You want in?" Millie asked.

Jarod smiled, and Steve tried not to shiver. Just how dangerous was this man?


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter 37**

"What's up, Steve?" Joe asked as Steve joined him at the bar of their favorite bar.

Millie was with Ashleigh and Kono, while Jarod and Danny had gone back to Tasha's home to try and find the photos. Meanwhile, Chin and Lou were verifying the information that had been in Tasha's notebook. Steve had told Danny he would catch up to him and Jarod after he took care of something, that something being Joe.

Steve showed him a picture he'd taken of the enigmatic Jarod. "He says his name is Jarod and Millie says he's CIA, changes his last name every other week, and has an IQ that's off the charts. His prints aren't with Interpol or any other database I can access, and I've only found one other picture of him but it's from an old one from a newspaper clipping, taken in 1997, and describes him as a firefighter who saved a little girl from a burning building. After that, he vanishes."

"And you want me to reach out to my contacts, see if they know who he is?" Joe asked, studying the photo.

"Please. There's something about this guy that I can't quite put my finger on," Steve said. "On the one hand, he seems like a likeable guy, but on the other hand... You should have seen the look on his face when we realized we were dealing with a child prostitution ring. All of a sudden I'm getting nervous. Millie did mention he could be dangerous when he was pissed off. I need to know just how dangerous."

"I hear ya. Let me see what I can find out," Joe promised. His cellphone beeped as Steve sent him the picture.

"Start in Portland, about two years ago," Steve suggested. "Seems he helped take down a drug smuggling ring that was operating inside an ice cream making plant. To quote Millie, he did in a week what the DEA had spent six months trying to do."

Joe whistled. "Now I'm real curious."

Steve nodded. "I appreciate this, Joe. Thanks." He took out a bill from his wallet and paid for Joe's drink.

"How is Millie doing, anyway?" Joe asked. He had met the brunette once and liked her, more or less. He really liked the fact that she kept Steve on his toes and seemed to care about him and the rest of the team.

Steve smiled. "She's doing good. We're seeing each other."

"Serious?"

"Serious enough. That fuzzball of her, Lunkhead, likes me enough that he doesn't try and stick his claws into my ankles when I'm over at her place."

"And the scars on the back of your hands?"

"Those are from Po and Elless, Millie's two kittens. Elless is a bit of rambunctious little girl, but Po is a cuddler; still likes to play, though."

"And how often are you there?" Steve just smiled at him. That was answer enough. "You've got it bad, boy."

Back at Tasha's house, her parents had willingly let Jarod and Danny in to search her room.

"Okay, Tasha is a teenage girl," Jarod mumbled, glancing around. "But she's also thinking like an investigative reporter. That means codes and secret hiding places. So where would I hide my secrets?"

Danny watched him poke around carefully, electing to let the newcomer do the work. On the way there, Jarod had commented on his accent, correctly deducing he was from Jersey. That had led to an interesting discussion on the various baseball teams in and around the Jersey and New York area, specifically the New York Yankees and the New York Mets.

Now, Jarod zeroed on a eight by ten framed photo of her and her family. He lifted the picture off the wall and turned it over. Then he carefully lifted the backing off from the photo. Tucked near the bottom was a memory card. He held up the card triumphantly, grinning broadly.

"Now, let's see what's on this baby," he said, booting up Tasha's laptop. "Password protected, of course." A few key strokes and he was in. He inserted the memory card in the USB memory card reader he'd found in her desk drawer, and plugged the reader into the laptop. In seconds he had access to the photos. "Oh my god," he breathed.

"That's James Jackson," Danny said, looking over his shoulder. "And that girl can't be more than fifteen or sixteen. I could bust him for these alone and he wouldn't stand a chance in court."

"But with his money, he would walk away without any jail time, and the girl would die to prevent her from talking," Jarod said darkly, going through the photos.

"There is that," Danny admitted reluctantly. "What are you thinking?" he asked, seeing the look on the other man's face. It was contemplative, the same one he usually saw on Steve's face when he was about to enter the land of Up To No Good, usually dragging him along with him.

"Tasha's murder, it was a professional hit, but also a mercy hit, not meant to make her suffer," Jarod said thoughtfully.

"How can you tell?"

"The look on her face and the way her body was placed," Jarod said. "Back of the head, but not directly on her head. She never saw him coming, never felt the gun. She didn't die afraid. She simply died."

"And the whole sleeping on the bench thing?"

"Meant she would be found, but not right away, giving the killer time to get away. Plus, he had enough of a conscience to not simply dump her body in the ocean or bury her so she would never be found, like most professional hit men do."

"You think our killer was hired to kill her?"

"I think so, and I think he didn't make her disappear because he wanted her found, because if she was found, you would start asking questions, which would lead to this," Jarod said, indicating the photos. "I think he was paid to kill her, but there was nothing stated that said he had to make her disappear, which meant making this disappear. Our killer has a heart, abet a small one, but he still has a heart."

Danny nodded. "So who hired who to kill her?"

"I don't know, but I do know James Jackson has some serious explaining to do," Jarod said. "But I don't want to just bring him down. I want to bring the whole thing down, and I think that's what Tasha wanted to do."

"She wanted to ruin his life to make up for the lives he'd ruined," Danny said. "That's what she told her cousin, and that's what she meant."

"And_ that_ sounds like an excellent idea to me," said Jarod, smiling coldly.

"What are you going to do?" Danny asked.

"What do you mean?"

"You've got the same look on your face as Steve gets and that usually means I'm about to get dragged into something that could be potentially life-threatening, Millie-yelling, or governor-explaining," Danny said. "Neither of which particularly appeals to me, given that I just found out I've got a three year-old son with some kind of immune system thingie that I cannot pronounce off the top of my head that requires a very painful bone marrow donation that I am really not looking forward to!"

"But because he's your son, you'll do it anyway," Jarod guessed.

"Are you a father?" Danny asked.

"No, but I am a son," Jarod admitted, smiling sadly. "What exactly does he have, do you know?"

"Something called HLH, I think," Danny said, pulling up the information on his cellphone and showing it to Jarod.

Jarod nodded, reading it. "Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, or HLH. It's is an uncommon genetic hematologic disorder, or blood disorder. His own immune system is overstimulated and is attacking healthy cells, which will damage all of his major organs and tissues," Jarod said.

"Like leukemia," Danny guessed.

"Sort of like leukemia," Jarod said, nodding. "The difference between the two is what's going on with the white blood cells, which are our immune cells. With regards to leukemia, the white blood cells are altered in the bone marrow and this can happen at any age. They put on a different uniform and join a blood-thirsty gang, and even worse, they don't die off, like normal white blood cells do, making it harder for the healthy white blood cells to do their jobs, which means you wind up with more gang members than you do cops. With HLH, the white blood cells are unaltered on a physical level, but they're brain-damaged and hyped up on high doses of Red Bull, causing them to go after anyone and everyone. Also, HLH is usually discovered during infancy. It's a rare condition, and if left untreated, it can kill. The other big difference between the two are the symptoms and the treatments. Leukemia can be treated with a bone marrow transplant and chemotherapy. HLH, on the other hand, requires the whole immune system to be suppressed, as well as treatment of the other effects of HLH." He smiled wryly. "Short story, with leukemia, you get one big problem. With HLH, you get a whole handful of little problems that have to be treated individually."

Danny stared at him. "That actually made sense."

Jarod smiled. "Thank you. I was a pathology professor at the Yale School of Medicine for a little while," he said.

"How was that?"

"Fun, but not as fun as catching the assistant professor who had murdered a female student and made her death look like a suicide," Jarod said, smiling icily.

"Right," said Danny, making a mental note to look that up. "Anyway, let's get this back to Headquarters and start making plans to take this scuzzball down."

"Sounds good to me," Jarod said, shutting down Tasha's computer. He was already making plans and was sure Danny would not like them, resulting in much, what was that? "By the way, Millie-yelling?"

"Usually at Steve, when he does something she considers really, really stupid," Danny said. "Like going one-on-one with a suspect who was twice his size."

"I'm guessing he won," Jarod said.

"Sure, but he limped for a week afterwards."

"And Millie?"

"Tore a strip off him a mile wide then spent the next several hours fussing over him," Danny said, grinning.

"That sounds like Millie."

At Headquarters, Danny and Jarod showed the team what they'd found.

"That girl is old enough to be my daughter," Lou growled. "If he touches her like that, I'm going to break his hands."

"Get in line," Chin said.

"What are you thinking, Jarod?" Millie asked.

"These girls do not look like they speak much of English," Jarod said. "Fortunately, I'm fluent in most of the Asian languages and dialects, so that won't be a problem. I need to get in, confirm their location, and determine who's who in the game."

"Can you?" Steve asked.

"Were you able to confirm the locations in Tasha's notebook?" Jarod asked Chin.

"We were. There's movement going on, but the whole area is surrounded by a fence and barbed wire, so we couldn't get too close. It looks like a warehouse, and the area has guards, but a girl like Tasha, she could get in and out without too much trouble," Chin said, bringing up surveillance photos of the area. "We won't be getting in without an invite, though."

"Then let's get one," Steve said. "Jackson. Bring him in."

"You won't be able to get near him if he gets wind of this and gets a lawyer," Millie warned them.

"So we get to him before he gets a lawyer," Steve said.

"And I know just how to do that," Jarod said, smiling evilly. "This guy thrives on publicity. I wonder what would happen if these photos were to, oh, I don't know, _slip_ to a reporter?"

"Ruin his life the way he ruined these girls?" Kono asked, grinning.

"He could sue for slander," Lou warned.

"He could, but the majority of reporters hold to the First Amendment and are very protective of their sources," Jarod reminded them.

"And you're going to pretend to be a reporter," Millie said.

"Jackson might not know just how much Tasha knew," Steve said, cluing in. "And we can use that to our advantage."

"Exactly," Jarod said, smiling coldly. "Sometimes, it's what they _don't _ know that we know that keeps the ball in our court." He smiled at Jackson's image on the screen. "This is going to be fun."


	38. Chapter 38

**Chapter 38**

Jarod smiled at the distinguished-looking man who wore a high-priced suit and tie. The man was James Jackson and right now he was looking more than a little nervous.

Jarod had lied his way in, claiming to be a reporter, backed by a phone call to Steve's phone, who had lied just as beautifully. Then, in the privacy of Jackson' office, Jarod had shown him two of the photos.

"You want to explain these, please?" Jarod asked, steepling his fingers.

"Where did you get these?" Jackson demanded.

"A source," Jarod said, shrugging. "A very good source. One who had names, dates, places even."

"Who?" Jackson demanded.

"Oh, you know I don't have to tell you," Jarod said. He smiled. "Little thing called the First Amendment. Right to free speech and all that." Then his smile became shark-like.

Jackson swallowed hard. Whoever this man was, he was clearly, very clearly not one to mess with, especially with these photos in his hands. "What do you want? How much money?"

"You think this is about money?" Jarod asked softly. "Oh no, my fine friend, this is not about money. This is about these girls. I want to know who they are, who their pimp is, and how you go about getting your little hands on them."

Jackson swallowed. "Or else?"

"Do I even have to say it?"

"You'll ruin my life, my family's life," Jackson said desperately.

"You mean like the way you ruined the lives of these girls? Didn't you?! Didn't you?!" Jarod finished off yelling. Then he calmed down. "Some of them are no more than the same age as your precious daughter, Danielle," he continued. "I wonder, hmm, how does it feel having sex with a girl who could be your daughter? Or does that even cross your mind?" He laughed. "Of course not. After all, they're not your daughter. They probably don't even fall into the same category as your daughter, or even any of the girls at her school. As long as you get what you paid for, I don't think you really care."

Jackson stared at him, seeing his whole world coming crashing down. "What do you want?" he asked tiredly.

"I already told you. I want your contact. I want an introduction, and I want it _now_."

"Then what?"

"Then I may not release the photos." Jarod smiled.

"You won't?" Jarod just looked at him. "Fine. But I want your word as a reporter that if I give you the contact and the introduction, you won't release those photos."

"Fine."

Jackson wrote down a name and number on a piece of paper and made a call. "Yeah, it's Jackson. I have a guy who's into the same stuff and he's willing to pay good money for one of your products." He listened to someone for a moment, then said, "Yeah, I trust him. Jarod Connors." He swallowed nervously, tugging at his shirt collar. "Understood. Thank you." He hung up and wrote something down before handing the paper to Jarod. "There. This is where you go. Hope you have a good background, because they'll be checking."

"That's not a problem," Jarod said, taking out his cellphone and snapping a shot of the paper, before sending it off. Then, standing up, he said, "By the way, I'm not really a reporter, which means I don't have to keep my word. And that call you made? That was to Commander McGarrett of the Five-0 Taskforce." Jarod smiled. "He's all yours, Commander."

"_Thanks Jarod. We've got the info. Good work._" And Steve strode in, armed to the teeth, along with Danny and Lou. "James Jackson, you're under arrest for child prostitution, child sexual abuse, sex with a minor, sexual exploitation of a minor, shall I continue?"

Jackson stared at him, the blood draining from his face.

"You ruined their lives," Jarod said, picking up the photos. "Now, we're about to ruin yours. Have fun." And Jarod strode out.

"You son of a bitch!" Jackson yelled angrily as Steve cuffed him. "I'll sue you for entrapment, you son of a bitch! I'll ruin you and I'll take your badge!"

"Good luck with that," Steve said, grinning. "He's not really a cop either. In fact, I'm not really sure who he is, other than very good at making people think he's what they think he is."

Jarod headed back to Headquarters, satisfied things were in good hands. He need to talk to Millie and he was going to need some equipment for the next phase of the operation.

When he got there, Ashleigh was gone, taken home by Kono. Millie was at the computer table, running through Jackson's finances, hoping to get a lead on the guy who had killed Tasha. As he watched, she rubbed her right wrist.

"Hey," he said, joining her.

"Hey yourself," she replied, smiling. "How did it go?"

"We got him and we got it all on tape. Steve is arresting him now."

"Wonderful. One more pervert off the streets."

"How's the wrist?"

"Sore. Feels funny when I rub it."

"Well, you had pins put in it," he said, taking her wrist and examining it with a critical eye. "Have you been doing the exercises your physiotherapist recommended?"

"Daily. Steve nags if I don't."

"He's a good man."

"He's my world," she said, smiling. Then she winced as his fingers found a particularly sore spot.

"The bones are healing, I swear, but it's going to take longer than two months for you to get full mobility back," he said. "When it starts hurting like this, put an ice pack on it for about ten minutes and keep it above your waist to help the blood flow. A few pillows in your lap or on your desk can help. Even a rice pillow would do wonders."

"Rice pillow? Like the kind that can be heated?"

"Yup, and I know someone who makes rice pillow wrist wraps."

"Of course you do. Knee and ankle, maybe?"

"That too. What did you find?"

"Fifty thousand dollars in cash withdrawn from a private account the day before Tasha's death. Because it's cash, I can't tell who he paid."

"What about ballistics?"

"They came back to a series of unsolved murders," she said, pulling up the report.

"A hitman," Jarod guessed.

"Yup. We can't prove that Jackson hired someone to kill Tasha, but we do have him dead to rights over this child prostitution business," Millie admitted. "Were you able to get the contact info?"

"I was, after I scared the pants off him," Jarod said, holding up a piece of paper.

"I'm wondering if he even put them on this morning," Millie said idly.

"Ouch," said Jarod. "Now comes the fun part."

"The raid," Millie guessed. "You're going to need equipment."

"And back-up."

"Which you'll have plenty of," Chin promised, joining them. "That was good work with Jackson. He's trying to claim entrapment, but we've got it all on audio."

"And the photos?" Jarod asked.

"The DA loves Tasha," Chin said. "You clearly know what you're doing, so Steve is willing to let you take the lead in this. I just got off the phone with him and Jackson is screaming his head off, but Steve's happy. He thinks the guy may have a few accidents along the way, though."

"Especially if word gets out he's a child sexual predator," Jarod said. "He'll have to be kept isolated from the other prisoners, or risk being killed every time he sets foot outside his cell."

"I'm afraid so," Chin admitted. He tapped a few keys on the computer table. "The information Tasha gave us, it's as solid as it comes."

"And the phone number?" Jarod asked.

"A burn phone, but should be easy to track once we set up the call," Chin said. "It's your move."

"Okay," Jarod said. "Make sure Jackson does not get near a phone to warn these guys."

"Already done," Chin said.

"I'll call them, set up a meet. I'm a new client to them, but not new to playing with children, especially girls, and I want the best," Jarod said, starting to smile. "Once I'm in and I know what we're dealing with, I'll give you the code, and we bring this place down. They probably won't let me in with a weapon, so I may have to improvise a bit." He started typing on the computer, going through archives and pulling up blueprints. As he did, Steve and the rest of the team joined them. Chin brought them up to date.

"This is the warehouse Tasha spotted," Jarod said. "It's owned by a corporation based in Japan, and is supposed to be an import company, but there's a large section that appears to be abandoned. I'd say that's where the girls are." He brought up the blueprint for the building. "Steve, Millie mentioned you're a SEAL, and Lou, you're a former SWAT officer. I recommend teams here, here, and here, with fence cutters. Be prepared to deal with the guards, and if you have to take them out, do so as quietly and as quickly as you can. We don't want the girls harmed, which means if you can avoid shooting, do so."

Within minutes they had a plan of attack. Jarod placed the call and was told to show up at the warehouse in an hour with the money, cash only.

"For a grand, this girl had better be worth it," Jarod growled at the speaker.

"_She is, trust me, she is_," the caller promised. "_And if she's not, you can beat her until she is_."

After Jarod hung up, Danny glanced at Millie. "Can you add Gravol to that list of yours?" he asked.

"Gravol? Sure, but I think there's some in the kitchen," Millie said. "Why?"

"Because I think I'm about to be sick to my stomach at the thought of tangling with these disgusting animals," Danny said.

"Well, when you catch them, you could always let your fist slip a few times," Millie offered.

"She does have a point there," Lou said. "I might have a few accidents, too."

"As long as we have enough of them conscious enough to be able to help us shut down this ring, I know nothing," Steve said.

An hour later, Jarod was straightening his black leather blazer that he was wearing over his blood red dress shirt. With his sunglasses in place, and black jeans, he looked lethal, and he carried an air about him that was just as lethal.

He smiled at the man who approached him at the gate. "I'm Jarod Connors. I'm here about your special products. I believe I'm expected."

As expected, Jarod was frisked. Then he was lead inside and into a room, where a terrified young Asian girl sat cowering on a bed.

"You like?" the man asked.

Jarod smiled and reached out to touch her hair. She flinched, not looking at him. "She's perfect," he said. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a stack of bills. "There's more where that came from," he promised the man.

"Don't break her too much. A broken whore is a dead whore and no money to us," the man said, accepting the cash before leaving the room and shutting the door behind him.

Jarod turned to the girl and dropped down to her level, dropping the pretend.

"My name is Jarod," he said, speaking in Japanese, taking off his jacket and putting it around her thin shoulders. "I don't want to hurt you. I'm here to help you."

"Minsuh," the girl said hesitantly, looking at him.

"Minsuh?" Jarod asked. He switched to Korean. "I'm Jarod. I'm here to help you. I won't hurt you. I promise."

"Jarod, what do you have?" Steve asked over his earwig.

"A Korean girl named Minsuh," Jarod said. He switched back to the girl. "I know what's going on. Will you help me?"

"I want to go home," she said.

"I can do that," he promised. "I will get you home, or you can stay in Hawaii, if you want, but no one will ever hurt you again." She bit her lip. "You can trust me," he coaxed. "I'm with a very special team who hate what these people are doing. Help me, please."

Finally, she nodded. "There is one of us, Linh. If I help you, will you help her?"

"I promise," Jarod said.

The girl talked, and tears rolled down Jarod's face.


	39. Chapter 39

**Chapter 39**

"Unknown number of girls," Jarod said. "One died last night. She's buried in the basement. Everything from Korean to Japanese to Chinese is spoken here. The new girls, they're kept separate until they've been properly trained, and some girls have died from the training."

"_My god_," Kono moaned softly.

"Minsuh says there's another girl here called Linh, and she'll help me if I help Linh," Jarod said.

"_Jarod, did you ever go through SEAL training?_" Millie asked.

"Hell Week was hell, but I've been through worse," Jarod said, understanding what Millie was suggesting. "Like having my heart deliberately stopped." He focused for a moment, pulling the personality of a Navy SEAL from his memories. Then he looked around the room. Anything could be a weapon with a little creativity.

The chair. It was a simple wooden chair with cuffs attached. Using the bed, he broke off the legs, putting them aside for the moment. Then he instructed Minsuh to get under the sheet and lay as still as possible. He undid his shirt, mussed up his hair, and went to the door. Opening it, he spotted the man from before.

"We might have a problem," he called. The man came over. "I think I broke the brat."

The man stepped inside, staring at Minsuh's still form, never seeing Jarod until it was too late. Then Jarod had his arms around the man's neck and head, kicking the door shut with his foot. Within seconds, the man was unconscious.

"Move in," Jarod said, taking the man's gun and using the sheets to tie him up and gag him. "Stealth is the name of the game here."

"_Move in_," Steve ordered.  
He tucked the gun in the back of his pants and gestured for Minsuh to follow him, taking the chair legs with him. "Stay with me and keep your head down," he told her. "Show me where the other girls are."

Minsuh nodded, clutching his hand tightly, trusting this man with the dark hair and kind eyes.  
She took him to the room with the other girls and watched as he attacked the man guarding the door, bringing him down with only a few grunts and a solid hit from his makeshift weapon. A key on his victim unlocked the door, and inside, he found girls as young as twelve to as old as eighteen, sleeping or sitting on dirty mattresses on the floor. When he came into the room, they looked at him with a mixture of fear and tired resignation.

"My name is Jarod," he said. "I'm here to help you."

Minsuh appeared beside him and went to a group of the girls, hugging them tightly, speaking in rapid Korean.

"Dāngxīn!" one of the girls suddenly screamed in Chinese, pointing behind Jarod.

Jarod ducked the arm that was trying to go around his neck and slammed his elbow into his attacker, his training kicking in.

Steve appeared in time to watch Jarod bring down his would-be attacker with the same moves and precision as a trained Navy SEAL. Was this what Millie meant by asking Jarod if he'd ever gone through SEAL training?

Once the man was down, Steve cuffed him.

"Nice work," he said, watching as SWAT and HPD officers flooded the room, gently taking control and care of the girls.

"Thanks," Jarod said, rolling up his sleeves and going over to a young girl who sat in one corner, staring blankly at nothing. Minsuh was crouched next to her, worry on her face. "Is this Linh?" he asked her. Minsuh nodded. "Steve, do you have a flashlight?" Steve handed him a flashlight and watched as Jarod tenderly examined the girl. "Can you tell me what happened to her?" he asked Minsuh. As Minsuh told him, he translated for Steve. "There was a customer. He came many times for her, always making her scream, always making her hurt and bleed. Finally, the last time, she stopped screaming and became this. She eats when she's told, moves when she's told, performs sex acts when told, but beyond that, she does nothing. Minsuh thinks her soul is gone."

Jarod stood up and gestured for Steve to join him near a corner, so they could talk privately. "From what I can see, she's retreated so far into herself as a result of the physiological trauma that she's essentially become a living doll."

"Is there anything we can do to help her?" Steve asked.

"Even if I could bring her out of her state, I wouldn't advise it. Doing so could kill her, either by her own hand, or by her body simply shutting down," Jarod admitted, sighing heavily, and rubbing a hand across his eyes. "She will likely be like this for the rest of her natural life. Minsuh is right; her body is here, but her mind, her soul, is gone. The kindest thing to do would be either a bullet or an overdose of morphine."

Steve couldn't believe he was hearing this, but when Jarod looked at him, he saw the sheen of tears in his eyes, and, try as he might to stop it, he felt his own eyes smarting.

"There's nothing we can do?" he asked, watching as Minsuh carefully guided Linh out of the room with the other girls.

Minsuh stopped in front of Jarod. "Can you help her?" she asked.

Jarod shook his head. "I'm sorry, Minsuh. You were right. Your friend's spirit is with your ancestors, while her body remains alive. If I try to bring her spirit back, it would do more harm than good. I'm sorry."

Minsuh nodded sadly, as if she had been expecting the news. "Thank you. What will happen to us now?"

"You go with the other girls. If you want, you can go home, or you can ask to stay. Maybe try for a better, happier life. Hawaii is a very nice place," Jarod said.

Minsuh nodded, then suddenly threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. "Thank you, Jarod."

"You're very welcome," he said, hugging her just as tightly.

Later, as the events of the day wound down, Jarod took to the waves with Millie to catch up on their friendship, while the rest of the team talked.

"He spoke perfect Japanese, perfect Korean, even perfect Chinese," Steve said. "I saw the way he attacked the guy who came up behind him; textbook SEAL moves."

"Okay, so this guy is well-trained and a linguist," Danny said. "So what?"

"So, I checked the Navy SEAL records. Jarod is not there. At all. Yet he said he survived Hell Week. That is a five day session of hell, and I can't find him," Steve explained. "So either he lied and he was never a Navy SEAL, or something else is going on. Even if he was CIA, there would be some record of him."

"Didn't he make a comment about having his heart stopped deliberately?" Lou asked. "How the hell do you do that to someone?"

"I don't know but I would imagine it's possible," Steve said. "Hope Joe turns up something."

Jarod stayed with Millie for the rest of the week, helping them close the case on Tasha McConnors and dealing with the aftermath of the child prostitution case. While he was with her, he became a veterinarian doctor and helped Millie and the HSPCA with a very successful Neuter-Your-Pet Day, for low-income families with beloved pets.

He also worked on the computer table, adding several protective firewalls, encryption creating and breaking programs, and search programs that would speed things up for them. He also created and modified several apps on Millie's iPad that would let her do her job more efficiently.

Millie finished out her week with her Home Economics class, viciously getting the one-up on Amy Evans and making Sasha Chapelsky her star student. Amy's parents tried to yell about the low grade she got, but Michael Roseberry, the headmaster, told them where to go and how to get there. He made it very plain, in no uncertain terms, that Amy had failed a very simple assignment and a very simple task because of her own lack of efforts and selfishness. She had failed to listen to Millie and was now failing to comprehend the necessity of the skills she was being taught. He also reminded them that fortunes could, and did, change overnight.

And Ashleigh Dowd? Having gotten a taste of what it meant to be a cop, thanks to a ride-along with a female police officer by the name of Officer Heather Visscher, who took to the girl instantly, Kono was sure they would be seeing Ashleigh in an HPD uniform in a few years.

James Jackson signed a full confession in exchange for transfer to a minimum security prison, but was found hanging by his neck shortly afterwards. Max ruled it a suicide but said he couldn't be completely sure, because of the bruises he found on Jackson's arms, bruises that suggested someone had "helped" him commit suicide.

Once Jarod was sure the girls from the prostitution ring would be okay, he gave Millie a hug and took a plane to Moloka'i, deciding to go island hopping before the Centre and Ms. Parker caught up to him again.

Then Joe caught up to Millie and Steve at his place. They were in his back yard, enjoying some time together while they still could, before the next case called them.

Joe accepted the beer Steve handed him and popped the cap, taking a swallow. "We've got a problem," he said, looking square at Millie, who looked back at him, eyebrows raised in question. "This Jarod friend of yours, he doesn't exist in any system I can get my hands on."

Millie smiled. "Good. That's the way it should be."

"Who is he?" Steve demanded to Millie.

"His name is Jarod," she replied calmly, folding her hands across her stomach. "He's a genius who has the ability to become anyone he wants to be. He could be one of the most dangerous men on the planet, but he's not, until you piss him off. And even then, he's not nearly as dangerous as some of the others we've come across. Why? Because he cares."

"What do you mean he can become anyone he wants to be?" Steve asked.

"Any profession. What would take you however many months or years, he can learn in days and be an expert in a week," Millie explained. "He can be an ER doctor, a homicide detective, an arson investigator, or a forensic specialist in a fraction of the time it takes us to learn the exact same thing." She smiled. "When he examined my wrist, he was an orthopaedic doctor. When he was talking to the girls, he was both a translator and a psychologist. He also has the ability take on aspects of a person, to become that person, to think the way they would, to behave the way they would. He calls it pretending."

"How come we've never heard of him?" Joe asked.

"What makes you think you haven't?" Millie shot back. "The man with the laughing eyes whose last name always changes but his first never does? You just haven't been looking in the right places." She picked up her iPad and pulled up a news story dated two years ago. She handed the device to Steve, who quickly skimmed the story.

"A woman had a heart attack on a flight coming into Portland," Steve said, eyebrows going up. "Who survived thanks to an unknown cardiac doctor who was onboard at the time?"

"How do you know about this?" Joe asked.

"Who do you think was with him on the flight?" Millie asked. "That business with the ice cream company? I know about it because I helped him with some minor stuff with regards to it. The CEO was so grateful, he let me and Jarod taste-test the ice creams in development. That was how we came up with _Tropical Delight_."

"Resulting in you getting ten percent of the profits from the sale of it," Steve realized, remembering the check Jarod had laughingly handed Millie a few days ago.

"Yup. Jarod also played Cupid and introduced the plant manager to his future wife, a woman who had been in love with him for months but was too shy to speak up," Millie said, grinning at the memory. "They got married six months later and are expecting their first baby next month. If it's a boy, they're going to call him Jarod."

"Of course," Joe said, smirking, before turning serious again. "If he's so damn good, why isn't he working for us or one of the other letters? Someone with his skills would be valuable as hell and he could help save a lot of lives."

"Just a sec," Millie said, holding up a finger. She got up and went inside, emerging a moment later, one hand slightly behind her back. "Are you familiar with the story of the Kohinoor diamond, Joe?" she asked.

"Yeah. Priceless, lot of history, currently sitting in the Tower of London as part of the Crown Jewels, and has had a lot of blood shed over it," Joe said, wondering where this was going.

"Pretend, just for a moment, that Jarod is like the Kohinoor, or even the Hope diamond, or any of the other famous, rare diamonds," Millie said. "But unlike those other diamonds, the Jarod diamond hasn't had blood spilled over him." Millie suddenly revealed her hand; she was holding Steve's SIG. As the two men watched, eyes growing wide, Millie raised the gun and pulled back the hammer with an audible click, aiming it at Joe. "Yet," she said coldly. "Think about how many people who would kill to own him, to control someone like him. How many people would die if someone were to corrupt him."

"You're protecting him," Steve realized.

"Jarod was taken away from his family when he was just a child, and raised by people who used him and his abilities for their own selfish reasons. He escaped and has spent all of his adult life trying to make up for all the deaths he inadvertently caused. To quote him, how many people died because of what he thought up?" Millie said. "Yet, somehow, despite the cold, cruel world he's known, he still sees wonder. He's still got the innocence of a child seeing the world for the first time, and I envy him for that. If you think, even for a second, I will let someone like you, or anyone else, hurt him or use him for your own selfish needs and wants, you'd better start running," she continued softly, not taking her eyes off Joe. "Because I will make you disappear and you will never lay eyes on Jarod again."

After a long moment, Joe raised his hands.

"Fine. I'll leave your friend alone," he said. "But if he starts shedding blood, I'm going hunting."

"Fine," Millie said, lowering the gun.

"Oh, and Millie? The next time you aim a gun at me, you'd better be prepared to shoot," Joe warned her, raising his beer to his lips.

Steve saw the twitch of her eyebrow two seconds before she raised the gun again. The beer bottle exploded, leaving on the neck and Joe's startled expression.

"You were saying?" she asked softly.

"Point made," Joe said, eyes wide. He realized he had vastly underestimated this quiet little brunette. He would not make that mistake again.

"Good. Let's not have this conversation again," Millie said. And with that, she turned and went back into the house.

Joe looked at his broken, dripping beer bottle before looking at Steve, who was looking at him with wide eyes. "Marry that girl, please, for both our sakes!" he said.

Steve grinned at him, shocked by his girlfriend's actions, which had been the last thing he expected.

"There is one thing, though. I didn't find Jarod exactly, but I did hear of rumours about someone like him. The Pretender, he's called," Joe admitted. "Dark hair, dark eyes, child-like wonder of the world and things like ice cream cookies and s'mores, always helping the weak and abused, the ones that slip through the cracks. The ones I spoke to who had heard rumours about him, they call him the son of Syn, who's a Norse goddess of watchfulness and truth, saying Syn's son struck again, whenever they hear something like this."

"Is he dangerous?" Steve asked.

"Only unless you count putting a drug dealer, who was dealing more than ice cream out of his ice cream truck, in his own freezer and dumping him in front of the local police station, dangerous," Joe admitted. "And that one I'm not even a hundred percent sure about. There was also the time someone matching his description caused a corrupt Army Ranger to stand on a landmine that had Jello in it when it exploded."

"Jello in a landmine?" Steve asked, eyes wide. "How?"

"I'm not sure, because that was back in 1998 and the details are sketchy, at best," Joe admitted.

"Jarod was also a Navy officer for a brief stint, I think," Millie said, rejoining them, coffee in hand. "He was trying to rule out a man's accidental death as a murder. You'll have to ask him for the details next time."

"And when will that be?" Steve asked.

"Whenever he darn well decides to show up," Millie shot back. "I hear from him a couple times a month, like a pen pal."

"What do you talk about?" Joe asked.

"Anything. Everything. And a few things you don't need to know about," Millie said. She waggled her coffee cup at him. "And on that topic, Steve, I'm heading upstairs. Catch you later, Joe." She gave Steve a kiss on the cheek and whispered something in his ear that had him grinning, before she headed inside.

"What was that about?" Joe asked.

"You've been married four times, Joe. Think about it," Steve shot back.

"Right," Joe said. "In that case, good night and thanks for the beer."

He watched as Steve headed inside, and shook his head. That Millie Thompson, she sure was something alright.


	40. Chapter 40

**Chapter 40**

The first time Denning saw Millie, she was surrounded by four cops, going through their paperwork and files.

"You forgot the T-37 form," Millie told one. "Weapons, remember?"

"I hate that damn thing," the cop groused.

"And I hate having court clerks and lawyers bitching at me because the forms accusing the bad guy of having weapons aren't there," Millie shot back. "You're charging him with weapons possession; he needs the T-37 or he walks away laughing. And Michaels? The judge is going to be laughing at you if you don't finish this one before the end of court day."

Michaels looked at the paper. "Damn, I must've been more tired than I thought. Sorry, Radar."

"Don't worry about it. Just grab some java and get it back to me and I'll hotfoot it over to the courthouse," Millie soothed. "As for you two jokers, I'm not going near the courthouse with this sorry excuse of a warrant request with the way this was written. I may be just Admin, but I've been around enough to know this won't even make it past the ADA. Either re-write it or get more evidence before you try again."

"We have enough evidence," one cop groused.

"So re-write it. Show me your notes."

One cop did, and Millie advised them how to re-write the warrant request to guarantee them getting the warrant.

"You seem to have your hands full," Denning said.

"Ah, this is nothing," Millie said, glancing up at him, clearly not recognizing him. "You remember that explosion we had? The one that sent all those cops to the hospital and injured heaven-knows-how-many?" At Denning's nod, she continued. "Now that was a mad house."

"And for good reason."

"As far as I'm concerned, there's no good reason for deliberately hurting good people," she shot back. "And no good reason for you to go Tarzaning after an idiot, you goof!" Millie snapped, playfully slapping a passing cop's shoulder with her files.

"What can I say? It was fun, and he was stupid enough to do it in a forest," the cop said, grinning at her. "How'd you know about that, anyway?"

"How do you think?" she asked sarcastically.

The cop laughed. "Right." Then he leaned close and, in a stage whisper, said, "Just don't tell my wife."

She slapped him with her files again. "Your wife is your problem, bucko. My title is Admin, not Marriage Counsellor." The cop walked away, laughing. "Hey Barnes, how's the nose?" she asked a passing cop, who was sporting a swollen nose.

"Been better. Could I get a thirty-second warning next time?"

"Hey, I warned you the turkey was going to fight! Not my fault your nose got in the way!" Millie shot back. Another cop joined her, sporting a growing goose egg on his temple, an ice pack pressed against it.

"You bounced your head off your car again, didn't you?" Millie teased, checking him over with a critical eye.

"She went left, I went right," he replied, smiling tiredly.

"Did you catch the little madam, at least?"

"Tyler did. What forms do I have to fill out this time?"

"Did you get checked out by a doctor or someone like that?"

"A paramedic student. I'll do it properly in a bit. Promise."

"I'll hold you to that. As for the forms, I'll get them for you and tag the important sections, okay?"

"Thanks, Radar. I appreciate that." And he patted her shoulder, nearly driving her to her knees.

"Go see a doctor, you hepa," she shot back, her gentle words having no sting to them.

Then Millie turned her attention to him, who was smiling in amusement at the playfulness between them.

"Have you been doing this job long?" he asked.

"Since I was eighteen. They love me, I love them, we're one big happy family. Most days."

"And other days?"

"Other days I pull my hair out." She shrugged. "Oh well. Such is life. I'm sure you'd do the same if you had any hair to pull."

"You don't know who I am, do you?" he asked, smiling at her.

She looked at him, studying his suit and the people surrounding him. "With your fancy suit, you could be a defense lawyer for all I care, which I really don't. So, here's the thing; unless you have a large cup of chocolate mocha coffee to bribe me with for something, I don't know who you are and I don't care. What I do care about are these cops and the fact that I sincerely hope you have somewhere to be, because you, sweetcheeks, are under my feet!"

He chuckled. "Point made. I'll make sure to have coffee for you next time, if that's what it takes to get into your good graces. A pleasure meeting you."

"Likewise," Millie said, and walked off, already chasing after another cop.

"Find out who she is," Denning quietly told his aide, still smiling.

"Yes sir."

The aide found out, and Denning instructed his secretary to call Millie and invite her to drop by in the morning.

"What would the governor of Hawaii want with me?" Millie asked the secretary over her phone.

"_It seems he was very impressed with you when you spoke to him earlier today_."

"I speak with a lot of people. What does he look like?"

"_He's the guy you apparently said that he could be a defense lawyer for all you cared, but unless he had a large cup of coffee, you didn't really care_," the secretary said, laughter in her voice.

"Oh. My. God," Millie said, eyes going wide at the memory. "That was Governor Denning?"

"_That's him_."

"How dead am I?"

The secretary laughed. "_You're not. Trust me, you're not. Come in tomorrow morning, say tenish_."

"Okay, I'll be there." And she hung up, then looked at Alana, one of her fellow Administrative Assistants, eyes wide. "What the hell do I wear to a meeting with the governor?"

"How much money can you spare?"

"I have a credit card I've barely even used."

In the end, she got a nice dove-grey three-piece suit, white blouse with collar, and pretty bright floral-print pumps that added a splash of color to the otherwise conservative attire.

When the secretary showed her into Denning's office, Millie had to fight to stop her hands from shaking, nervous as she was.

"Ah, Ms. Thompson. Good to see you again. Thank you for coming in this morning," Denning said, handing her a large cup of coffee.

She took a sniff. "Chocolate mocha. Thank you, sir," she said, taking a sip.

"I seem to recall you saying that I would need that to bribe you," he said, smiling at her.

He didn't seem pissed at her. In fact, he seemed relaxed. Maybe she could too.

"Your file says you're not from around here," he said, glancing at an open file on his desk.

"No sir. I'm from Oregon. Portland, to be exact."

"Why did you come here?"

"My grandmother had her honeymoon here, and before she died, she asked me to come back here, even if it was just to visit." She shrugged. "I liked it and decided to stick around." To her surprise, the conversation shifted to her work with the HPD and the Portland PD. He asked her about difficult situations, situations she wished could have been handled better, what would she do if... In fact, Millie was seriously starting to wonder if this was some kind of job interview.

"Sir, if I may be a little blunt?"

"Please."

"What's going on here? As far as I know, yesterday was the first time you and I ever crossed paths, and now suddenly I'm in your office and we're chatting about my job. What gives?"

"Fair enough. Have you ever heard of the Five-0 Taskforce?"

"Yes, I have. I've heard Duke cuss about them a few times, usually in good-natured terms, and I met Commander McGarrett the day before," Millie said. "He seemed decent enough and looks like he can hold his own in a fight. I also remember that it was him that yelled at us to get out of HPD before that bitch blew the place."

"That's right. They're a good bunch and they have a great success rate. The problem I have is their paperwork," Denning said. "They don't have an Administrative Assistant to help them get their paperwork straightened out. Most of the time they're not too bad, but..."

"They don't have an Administrative Assistant? Why the hell not?"

"The impression I get is most people would either run in terror or try and hit on whatever member of the team catches their eye. McGarrett is also a bit unorthodox and has a habit of dragging people into the field."

"Yikes."

"You don't seem like the kind of person who scares easily," Denning continued. "And with the way you handled the cops yesterday, I think you can handle the Five-0 team."

"You want me to be their secretary?"

"Yes. You have a valuable skill as a people reader, your file says you have a weapons license, even though you don't own a gun, and you are respected amongst the HPD officers."

"That's nice. So?"

"So, if you were to accept the job, you would have complete control over the team on an administrative level. You would also get a pay raise." He named a figure that had Millie's eyebrows going up.

"That's nice, I won't deny that."

"Thank you. Because you're already on good terms with the HPD, you would be able to assist the team as a liaison between them and HPD, as well as the courthouses."

"Would I get my own office?"

"Automatically."

"What about this field business? I'm not a cop and I have no plans to be one."

"If you don't want to be in the field, you don't have to be. Be warned, however, we have had incidences where the Headquarters have been broken in to, and shots have been fired. You don't have to be in the field, but I wouldn't be surprised if McGarrett asks that you have a gun in your desk. However, that would be between you and him."

Millie worried her lip. It was mighty tempting. And it meant she could see Steve McGarrett again; he was kinda cute, and she hadn't seen Catherine Rollins around lately. Maybe?

"Think of this as a promotion," Dennings coaxed. "You would be in charge, administratively, of one of the best taskforces on the island."

"So if I head-thump them a few times, I can get away with it?"

"Please."

The idea of her own office and a different way of doing things... That section would be hers, and she wouldn't be just one of several; she would be the boss.

_Go for it_, her heart whispered. _You won't know until you try. And it might even be fun._

"When do I start?" she asked.

"Today, if you want," Denning said, relief evident on his face.

"Make it tomorrow, so I can do some research on these guys, and clear my docket at HPD, as well as let my boss know," she said.

"Done. I'll get you access to their files," Denning said. He offered her his hand. "Welcome to Five-0 Taskforce. If you're not reporting to McGarrett, you'll be reporting to me."

"Understood, sir, and thank you."

"No, Ms. Thompson, thank you."

"My name is Millie, or Radar. Mrs. Thompson was my grandmother."

"Fair enough."

_The next day..._

Her office was nice, like really nice. Glass door, two thirds glass walls with wooden blinds, a window that had a nice view outside, a nice desk and chair, a promise of a personal laptop, a filing cabinet, and even space for a chair or two in front of her desk, plus a bookcase or two. She smiled, looking around.

The team wasn't there right now, according to Duke, who helped her up the stairs with a box of office supplies. He had wished her well on her new venture, and assured her the team was never hard to reach.

Two hours later, she heard them coming in. She had put her iPod in its docking station and George Fox's _Mustang Heart_ was playing.

"Millie," said Steve, recognizing her as she came from the kitchen, sipping a fresh cup of coffee (mana from heaven, as far as she was concerned).

"Steve," Millie replied. She glanced at the rest of the crew. "You guys look a little beat there. What did you get yourself into this time?"

_Present day..._

"And the rest you know," Millie said.

"You seriously didn't recognize Governor Denning?" Steve asked, grinning at her. He thought she looked very nice today, wearing a white poplin boyfriend shirt under a black vest, with the sleeves rolled up, and a jade butterfly brooch on one lapel. Boot-cut jeans and tan booties completed the outfit, and, surprise, surprise, she was even wearing both her Glock and her badge.

"No, I didn't. I don't pay attention to politics. I knew there was some black guy in charge, but beyond that, as long as he left my job alone, I didn't know and I didn't care," Millie said. "And now he wants to see both of us, which leaves me wondering what did I do this time?"

When they were shown to his office, the first thing Denning said was, "The badge looks good on you, Millie."

"Thank you, sir."

"Now, I've been getting reports of someone working with you on this child prostitution ring," Denning began.

Steve and Millie glanced at each other. "Yes, we had a specialist working with us," Steve admitted.

"A specialist," Denning repeated. "I have just one question."

"Okay," Steve said.

"Just who the hell is he?"

Again Steve and Millie looked at each other. "That, sir, is a very long, very complicated story," Millie said.

"I'm listening."


	41. Chapter 41

**Chapter 41**

"Hi Mister McGarrett," Zack Bergerson called, waving to Steve as Steve got out of his truck, parked in Millie's driveway.

"Hey Zack," Steve called back, waving at the sixteen year-old teenage boy, who lived across the street from Millie. Zack was a tall kid with shaggy dark brown hair, tanned skin, and brown eyes. Steve had seen him around a few times and he was always polite towards him. "What are you reading?" he asked, noticing the book in his hands.

"_The Great War at Sea: A Naval History of the First World War_," Zack said.

Steve came over to him, looking up at him from his perch in the koa tree in the front yard. "School assignment?"

"Only if my dad asks," Zack admitted. "Truth is, the Navy fascinates me. I just can't tell Dad that; he hates the armed forces."

"Then he would really hate me," said Steve. "I'm a Navy SEAL."

"Really? I thought you were a cop," Zack said eyes wide with curiosity.

"I'm with Five-0, yes, like Millie, but I'm also a reservist," Steve explained.

"Is it hard to be a Navy SEAL?"

"It's very demanding," Steve admitted. "About seventy percent of candidates don't make it past Phase One. Then there's Hell Week, which is five and a half days of pure hell. If you can survive that, there's an additional two years of training in a wide variety of environments, none of them nice. Then, if you can survive that, you have the right to wear the trident badge and are considered the best of the best."

"Cool. My uncle is a Navy chaplain, but Dad gets nasty if we talk about him," Zack admitted.

"Your dad seems to get nasty about a lot of things," Steve noted.

"Yeah. He usually does when he's been drinking," Zack said.

Millie came outside, having heard Steve's truck pull up but didn't see Steve come inside.

"Hi Steve. Hey Zack," she said, joining Steve and accepting his hello kiss. "Your mom home yet?"

"No ma'am," Zack said.

Have you eaten?" Millie asked.

"No ma'am," Zack said again.

Millie glanced at Steve, a question in her eyes. He shrugged and nodded. "It's taco salad tonight. You have ten minutes to get your ass to the table," she told Zack.

"I don't want to be a bother, ma'am," Zack said.

"If you don't show up at the table in ten minutes and stop calling me ma'am, I'll bother your ass with my foot," Millie shot back, heading back to her house.

"You heard the lady," Steve said, grinning at Zack's shocked expression. "She's a pretty good cook and her taco salad is a favourite of mine. Plus, I'll tell you more about the Navy, if you want. Hope you're not allergic to cats."

"You mean Lunkhead?" Zack asked, hoping down from the tree. "I've seen him around a time or two, usually chasing after one of the dogs. He's kinda like a SEAL himself because he never backs away from a fight."

"I hadn't thought of him quite that way, but you're right. Did you know he clawed a guy pretty good when the guy went after Millie?" Steve asked as they headed for the house.

Over the course of dinner, Zack admitted his home life wasn't the greatest. His dad, Kirk, had been drinking more and more as of late, and his mother, Margaret, was spending more and more time away from home. His father suspected her of having an affair, and there had been several nasty fights between them, resulting in the police being called.

As for the Navy, he was fascinated by the history of the Navy, and more so by the SEALs.

"As soon as I'm old enough, I'm going to enlist in the Navy," he said. "If I do that, can I still become a SEAL?"

"Yes," Steve said. "There are certain physical requirements that have to be met, but as long as your CO knows what you're doing and what you want, then all you have to do is apply. Then it's six weeks of BUD/S training."

"BUD/S?" Zack asked.

"Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training," Steve said. "Hell Week is part of that training."  
Later, as Steve and Millie tidied up the kitchen and talked quietly while Zack checked out her selection of books.

"I'm going to give him a copy of my key and my cellphone number," Millie said. "With the way things are going, he's going to need a safe place to go to. I'm also going to leave some cash somewhere so he can take a cab to Headquarters if there's a serious problem," Millie said.

"Good idea. Give him my number as well. I've got a bad feeling about this," Steve said.

"Hey Millie?" Zack asked, joining them.

"Yo."

"May I borrow these books?" he asked, holding up two paperback books.

"_Decisions at Sea: Five Naval Battles that Shaped American History, by Craig L. Symonds. Navy SEALs: Their Untold Story, by Dick Couch and William Doyle_," Millie read from the covers. "Help yourself."

"Thanks," he said. "I'll bring them back as soon as I'm done," Zack said. "I'd better go. Dad can get real mean if I'm not home when he gets home."

Millie snagged a notepad from her desk and wrote down a series of numbers. "These are mine and Steve's cellphone numbers. If you have any problems, and I mean any, you call us, okay? Night or day."

Zack nodded, accepting the piece of paper. "Thanks. Really."

Then he left, after giving Lunkhead another head rub.

"I'm getting that key cut first thing in the morning," Millie said.

The next day, Millie got her house key copied and put on a Hawaii Warriors keychain. She would give it to Zack when he finished school.

Two days later, her cellphone rang. She was at Steve's place, trying to unwind after a very demanding day.

IA was poking in her background, despite having been given the paperwork on her inheritance. One of the investigators was a woman by the name of Lila Proulx, whom Millie had crossed paths with before, over Cherry Sunday. The last encounter hadn't been pleasant. The one this morning hadn't been much better.

Lunkhead wasn't doing very well and she had taken him to the vet earlier that day. They were running some bloodwork on him and wanted to keep him overnight.

Her nightmares were back, despite the training she was receiving from Captain Dwayne Wickett, a SWAT captain who taught sexual assault and rape victims how to fight dirty. Steve had asked her about the tears he'd seen on her face the last time she'd spent the night at his place.

Now she was seated between Steve's legs and he was giving her a neck massage.

"Thompson," Millie said.

"_Millie? It's Zack Bergerson,_" said Zack.

"Hey kiddo. What's up?"

"_I'm sorry to bother you, but you said I could call you if I was ever in a jam and needed help. Well, I kinda do need help now,_" Zack said.

"Talk to me," Millie said, switching her phone to speakerphone so Steve could hear.

"_Mom just left us. She's not coming back and she's not taking me with her. Dad's pretty drunk and he hit me with one of his bottles._"

"Oh my god," Millie moaned.

"Zack, are you okay?" Steve asked.

"_No, sir. He broke my arm. I took myself to a hospital, but because I'm underage, they're requesting a parent or guardian_," Zack said. "_I'm sure as heck not calling my dad_."

"I don't blame you. What hospital are you at and do you have insurance?" Millie asked.

"_I think we do, but I don't know. As for the hospital, I'm at Queens; took my bike_."

"Okay, buddy. You tell the staff we're on our way, and we'll be there as fast as possible," Steve said.

"_Yes sir,_" Zack said. He ended the call and Steve and Millie headed for Blackbird and the hospital.

"Should we set HPD on Kirk?" Millie asked, letting Steve drive.

"Let's hold off on that until we get a full report from Zack," Steve said. "Then we can charge him with assault."

"Fair enough."

At Queens, Zack was being examined by a doctor. He'd had his left arm x-rayed and the radius bone was confirmed broken. A growing bruise on the arm told the tale of a heavy object striking his arm and breaking it.

"Jack Daniel's. I've always hated that stuff," Zack quipped. "Now I hate it even more."

"He used the bigger bottle on you?" Steve asked.

"Yes, sir," Zack said.

"Why did your dad hit you with the bottle?" Millie asked.

"He didn't hit me with it so much as he threw it at me," Zack admitted.

"Same effect," said the doctor, Dr. Ed Starzacher. "A broken arm that's going to take about six weeks to heal."

"Anyway?" Steve asked.

"Anyway, Mom showed up and started throwing all her stuff in a suitcase. She said she was leaving and she was going to be sending Dad divorce papers. When I asked her what about me, she said I was almost old enough to fend for myself and I could go to you for help," Zack said. "Actually, what she called you was that high and mighty cop across the street."

"Ouch," Millie said, eyebrows going up.

"Yeah. I didn't exactly try and stop her, not that I could, anyway, because I was too busy trying to stop Dad from going after her. She left and he threw the bottle at me, calling me a whoring SOB and a few other things. I got the hell out of there and hid at your place but then my arm started bothering me real bad and I figured I'd better get it checked out," Zack continued. "Got on my bike and headed here."

"So he assaulted you," Steve said.

"I guess so, sir. He didn't actually touch me, though," Zack pointed out.

"No, but throwing a bottle, or anything like that, can and does constitute as assault," Millie said. "We can have charges pressed against him for that, and he can very easily spend time in jail over it."

"But if he does, what will happen to me? I'm not legally old enough to be on my own, and I still have school," Zack said.

"You're welcome to stay with me or Steve," Millie said. "I've got a spare bedroom, and as long as ghosts don't freak you out, you're welcome to stay as long as you like. We can also get in touch with your uncle and ask him for help."

"That would give you exposure to the Navy and help you decide if that's what you really want," Steve said.

"Ghosts?" Zack asked. "Cool. Do you know who it is?"

"Mr. Iwa," Millie said.

"I remember him. He was a nice guy, and he made great ice cream cones," Zack said. "He used to have ice cream parties, especially in the summer when it was really hot, and he could throw a water balloon with the best of them."

In the end, it was decided that Zack would be released to Millie's care, and her insurance would cover the care for his broken arm.

Steve called HPD and asked for officers to meet them back at Kauhane Street, where they would arrest and charge Kirk with assault with a weapon.

The police were waiting for them at Millie's house and both men, locals in appearance, winced in sympathy when they saw Zack's arm.

"A bottle of Jack's?" one officer, Officer Tad Palakiko, said. "Nasty stuff going down. Even nastier when it's thrown."

"Right, and you had one thrown at you a month ago during a bar fight you two had to interrupt," Millie said, remembering the report and the story.

"Yes ma'am," Tad said, grinning.

"What's the game plan, sir?" Officer Iokua 'Akamu asked.

"He should be in that house, there," Steve said, "and very likely drunk. You'll knock on the door, ask him to come out, and explain that he's being charged."

"Are you guys going to be strong enough?" Zack asked. "He works the fishing docks and he's pretty strong."

Both Iokua and Tad flexed their tree-trunk size arm muscles. "Wanna know who won that bar fight?" Tad asked. "It sure as heck wasn't the okole pukas."

"And Steve can hold his own in a fight," Millie said.

Except they never got the chance.

Before they could even knock, Kirk slammed the door open and sent both men against the already-weak porch rail, which broke under their combined weight, sending them crashing into the hibiscus bushes below. Steve, who had gone into the garage to cover a possible exit, was too far away to stop Kirk from charging at Zack.

Millie didn't have her gun on her, but she moved in front of Zack and tried to protect him from his father. That didn't stop Kirk from taking a swing at the boy, catching Millie square in the face in the process.

Zack yanked Millie out of the way before Kirk could swing again, planting himself between her and his father, rage in his eyes.

"You little runt!" Kirk yelled, trying to swing again.

Zack ducked under the swing and shoved him straight at Steve, who tackled Kirk viciously, quickly joined by Tad and Iokua, both of whom were looking pretty pissed off.

"You're under arrest, Mr. Bergerson, for assaulting a peace officer," Steve huffed as Kirk was cuffed. "As well as assault with a weapon and resisting arrest."

"You just blew it right out of the water, Dad," Zack yelled. "You made Mom leave us! Well guess what? Now I'm leaving you, and I sure as hell am not coming back! It was bad enough that you hit me! But then you had to go and hit a friend! I'm done with you, loser! You don't like the Navy? You're gonna hate it even more, because as soon as I'm old enough, I'm enlisting and there won't be a damn thing you can do to stop me!"

"You can't enlist without my consent, boy!" Kirk yelled, straining against the officers holding him back.

"He won't need your consent," Steve shot back. "First chance we get, we'll be petitioning the courts for change of guardianship with him, and right now I think we stand a pretty good chance."

Kirk started really fighting and yelling then, resulting in Tad, Iokua, and Steve having to hog-tie him. Meanwhile, Millie got Zack inside and away from the commotion. While inside, she pressed an icepack against her swollen cheekbone.

"I hate him," Zack said, watching from the window, tears rolling down his face.

Millie rubbed his shoulder. "I don't blame you. Once they take him away, we'll go get your stuff and get you settled in, okay? Then we'll figure out what to do from there. Family Services is going to have to get involved, but maybe we can convince them to let you stay with me. God knows I've got the room, and the Twins seem to like you well enough."

"Where's Lunkhead?" Zack asked, trying to dry his eyes.

"At the vet. His leg isn't healing well they're concerned about a lump they found on the bone," Millie admitted.

"Is he going to be okay?"

"I hope so. He's a tough old bastard," Millie said.

Steve joined them a few minutes later. "You okay?" he asked, tenderly checking her face.

"I'm getting real sick of being hit," Millie said.

"I don't blame you," he said. "I'll stay the night, and then we'll figure out what to do in the morning, okay?"

"I can apply for emergency guardianship, which should let you stay with me until this whole kerfuffle gets sorted out," Millie offered.

"Really?" Zack asked. "For how long?"

"For however long it takes," Millie said. "You're always welcome here."

"What about when my dad gets out? I don't want to go back to him," Zack said.

"Hence the emergency guardianship," Steve said.

Later that night, with Steve next to her, the nightmares came again to Millie. This time, she woke up fighting and crying, causing Steve to wake up.

"Nani, Nani, it's okay," he soothed, holding her close. "You're safe. It's okay."

_But it's not okay, _she thought, tears sliding down her face. _And it's not going to be okay for a long time._


	42. Chapter 42

**Chapter 42**

"What happened to you?" Chin asked, seeing Millie and Steve come in, with Millie sporting a bruise on her face, one he was sure wasn't there yesterday.

"My neighbour's father got drunk and got stupid last night," Millie said tiredly. "I got between him and his son, Zack, whose arm he broke earlier with a whiskey bottle, of all things, when he took a swing at the kid. Then he sort of took objection to being arrested."

"You have all the luck, don't you, Kaikuahine?" Chin said, grinning at her.

"That she does," Steve said. "She's also going to be asking the courts for emergency guardianship of Zack, until we can locate his uncle, who's supposed to be a chaplain in the Navy. This is the name he gave me," he continued, giving Danny a piece of paper with a name scrawled on it.

"Can you handle this? I've got a few phone calls to make," Millie said.

"Sure. No problem," Steve said. He watched his girlfriend head for her office, worry etched on his face.

"What's going on?" Danny asked.

"What do you mean?" Steve asked.

"You've got that Worried-Half-Out-of-My-Mind look on your face again," Danny said. "And it's aimed at your girlfriend, who, coincidentally, happens to be a very good friend of ours, so if you're worried about her, then I want to know what you're worried about so I can decide if it's worth worrying about and start worrying about her myself."

Steve stared at him. Finally, he relented.

"She's been having real bad nightmares about the attack. Woke up screaming and fighting last night," Steve admitted. "I think the hit she took from Kirk Bergerson triggered it. Plus, she's under a lot of stress right now. Lunkhead's at the vet because his leg isn't healing properly and they think they found a lump where there's not supposed to be. I also think there's something going on with regards to her right wrist."

"That watch cuff she's been wearing lately? I was wondering about that," Chin said.

"I've seen someone do that before," Lou said, joining them, alongside Kono. "Buddy I knew. He got a real nasty knife stab in the gut. Damn near bleed to death. Was the kind of guy who took his shirt off at the beach all the time. After that knife attack, he never did again. Said the scar reminded him of how vulnerable he was. Hated it."

"You think Millie has the same problem?" Kono asked.

"I'd bet on it," Lou said.

"Anything we can do?" Chin asked.

"Give her time. Let her know we're here," Lou said. "A swift kick in the backside every now and then, when she needs it."

"All right, I guess," Steve said.

"Right now, let's focus on getting Zack to his uncle," Danny said, heading for the computer table. He typed in the name and a few other things. A face popped up, along with a file. "Captain Adam Zysko, Navy Protestant Chaplain," he said. "Margaret Bergerson was his sister. He's married to a woman by the name of Natalie Zysko, who works as a veterinarian technician. Captain Zysko has a clean record, which is to be expected of a chaplain. Natalie, on the other hand, seems to have gotten a little hostile with a client when she suspected him of abusing his dogs. Beyond that, nothing else."

"We need to get in touch with him," Steve said.

"Which we can do, sort of. Looks like Natalie is living in the Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam housing area. Captain Zysko is away at sea at the moment, but it looks like he's due back within the next few weeks," Danny said.

Millie headed for the kitchen, dimly hearing the conversation flowing around her. There was so much to do and it seemed like there wasn't enough time to do it all. Right now, she needed coffee, badly. As she started filling the glass coffee pot with fresh water, thoughts ran rampant through her mind.

_Tumour... Old break that never healed quite right... Amputation... Surgery is a risk because of his age..._

_Witnesses testimony... Claims of self-defence against Lunkhead... Challenging your status as a peace officer... Going after Donna..._

_Chin is a dirty cop and anyone who works with him is just as dirty... Why have you been sitting on all that money for so long?... What right do you have to call yourself an officer?..._

_Harder... Have to try harder... Can't let it happen again... Won't let it happen again... God, the nightmares..._

_I don't want to lose Lunkhead... He saved my life... What do I do?... What do I do?_

The world started spinning faster and faster and she felt her knees giving out from under her. Then the darkness came and she never felt the floor.

There was a crashing noise from the general direction of the kitchen and everyone jumped, startled.

"What was that?" Danny demanded.

Curious and concerned, especially when he realized Millie wasn't in her office, Steve headed for the kitchen.

Then he saw Millie on the floor, a broken coffee pot beside her and water spreading across the floor.

"Guys!" Steve yelled, running over to her. "Call an ambulance! Millie's down!" Danny, Lou, and Chin poured into the kitchen, Kono right behind them and on her cellphone. "Watch out for the broken glass!" he said, crouching over Millie's still form. "She's got a pulse. It's faint, but it's there," he said, checking her jugular vein. _She looked pale_, Steve thought. _Too pale._ He said as much, while he checked her head. No blood. "I'm not seeing an injuries."

Chin and Danny quickly worked to clear the broken glass and water, giving them space to work safely.

"Paramedics are on the way," Kono said. "I'll go meet them."

"We'll keep in touch," Steve said.

Lou disappeared for a moment, then reappeared, a blood glucose testing kit in one hand. "She damn near passed out on me once. Something about a fast metabolism and if her energy output exceeds her sugar intake, she can be in serious trouble, like a hypoglycemic. I asked her to keep a testing kit in her desk, just in case." He handed the kit to Steve, who quickly preformed the test. The device beeped warningly; her glucose levels were low.

Millie moaned softly, stirring. She licked her lips, her eyes opening slowly. Steve helped her sit up, cradling her against him. Lou handed him a glass of water that had two teaspoons of sugar dissolved in it.

"Hey, sweetie," Steve said, pressing the glass to Millie's lips. "You need to drink this."

She drank automatically, still very limp, then turned her head away. She looked at him, and he saw the dark circles under her eyes, just as a tear slid down her face.

"What's going on, sweetheart?" he asked, wiping away the tear.

"Too much. Too much. I'm going to lose Lunkey, IA is still investigating me and questioning my status, Ellie says Moore is going to go after Donna in court..." she moaned, starting to cry. "I can't eat, I can't sleep... I don't know what to do. I don't know what to do."

"What's going on with Lunkhead, babe?" Danny asked, crouching down in front of her.

"Dr. Young says he has a tumor in his leg, where the break is, and they want to amputate, but there's a risk he won't survive the surgery," Millie moaned. "He's my buddy. He's been with me ever since the first lightning storm I ever saw here. I don't want to lose him. I don't know what to do."

"Why don't you call your brother, Drew?" Lou asked. "He's a vet doc, remember? Have your vet send him everything they got. Call it a second opinion. Never hurts."

"Lou's right, babe," Danny said. "Drew knows Lunkhead and he knows you. He'll tell you the truth."

"What about IA? Officer Lila Prolux is determined I'm dirty and I know I humiliated her good over Cherry Sunday. Why won't she leave me alone?" Millie whimpered. "She thinks I don't deserve to wear a badge."

"You do deserve to wear that badge, Kaikuahine. People like Officer Prolux, they don't know what it means and what you've done," Chin soothed. "You don't have anything to prove. Not to us, not to her. We'll deal with her because we know how."

But it seemed Millie wasn't listening, too wrapped up in her own grief and worry. They managed to coax another glass of sugar water down her throat, trying to get her blood sugar back up to a safe level, and she did drink, before burying her face in Steve's chest.

Kono finally appeared, two paramedics right behind her. They took over, listening to what Steve, Danny, Chin, and Lou told them.

While they worked, checking her over, Steve drew his team aside.

"I'm going to go with her. You guys, find out what the hell IA is doing to her, what's going on with Lunkhead, and this thing about Moore going after Donna," he said.

"Donna sounds like the cashier at the gas station, the one Moore sexually harassed and Millie defended," Chin said. "If his lawyer goes after her on the stand, it could get ugly."

"Talk to Ellie. Find out," Steve said. "What about IA? Did you contact her lawyer?"

"I did, and he sent me everything he could on her inheritance," Chin said. "It's as legal as they come. IA has no reason to go after her, and she told them that the last time they showed up here. She even showed them the papers."

"She said they're questioning her status," Lou said. "Didn't Denning give her that status?"

"He was also the one who hired her," Steve said. "Call him, explain the problem."

"Gladly," said Lou.

"Kono, go after this Officer Prolux; find out what's going on and bring her down," Steve instructed.

"My favorite thing to do," Kono said, a nasty smile coming across her face.

"Try not to enjoy it too much, cuz," Chin said, grinning.

"She was on her phone just before she dropped," Danny said. "I'll check that. Who has her mom's number?"

"I do. I'll call them," Steve said, watching as the paramedics loaded Millie on to the stretcher, who was still quietly crying, staring at nothing.

"We're concerned about her health; looks like a bad case of exhaustion," one paramedic said, joining them. She was a woman about Danny's height, red hair pulled into a bun. "Her blood sugar is up to safe levels, but only just. She's admitted to not remembering the last time she ate or had a good night's sleep. Is she under a lot of stress?"

"From the sounds of it, yes," Steve admitted. "What about PTSD?"

"That's possible," the paramedic admitted. "What happened? I noticed pin surgery scars on her wrist, under the cuff watch, and felt a healing break in her forearm."

"She was attacked about two, two and a half months ago," Steve admitted. "Guy tried to beat her to death because she stood up to him after he sexually harassed a teenage girl. She also took a hit across the face last night, trying to stop a drunk father from attacking his son, again."

"Wow," the paramedic said, eyes wide, as she made a note on Millie's chart. "Well, that does explain some of what she was saying. We're going to take her in, and I'd like to have her evaluated. Did she ever take any time off after the attack?"

"Two weeks, then she insisted on coming back," Steve admitted. "Claimed she was bored out of her skull. She's our Administrative Assistant, but the governor granted her the title of Officer, because we occasionally pull her into the field."

"Again, that explains a few things," the paramedic said, watching as Kono handed her partner, a stocky woman with her black hair cut short, and East Indian ancestry, Millie's purse. "Are any of you coming with us?"

"I am," Steve said.

"Good. We're ready to go," the paramedic said.

"Go. We'll take care of things on this end," Danny said. "There's not going to be a lot of people very happy with us by the time we're through."

"But that's just half the fun," Steve quipped, following the paramedics.


	43. Chapter 43

**Chapter 43**

"_You're kidding me_," Denning said.

"I wish I was, sir," Lou said. "But IA, specifically Officer Lila Prolux, is loudly questioning Millie's status as an Officer. They tried to question her about her inheritance, but we got papers from her lawyer, who handled the original inheritance issue, that said the money was Millie's free and clear. She also just took in another two hundred grand from an ice cream company in Portland, _Merry Maid Ice Cream_. Those are legitimate earnings from that company, from the sale of their best selling ice cream flavor, _Tropical Delight_, which Millie apparently helped create the last time she went home. She will be getting ten percent of their profits from _Merry Maid_ for as long as they carry _Tropical Delight_."

Denning whistled. "_I know that stuff. My wife loves it. Can she prove the income is legitimate?_"

"More than. A friend of hers caught up to her and delivered it, along with a letter from the CEO of the company, thanking her for helping them develop the ice cream, which is doing very well in Hawaii. Seems she was inspired by the colors of a red hibiscus flower, and the fact that there are very few ice creams with pineapple in them, which she really likes," Lou said.

"_Huh. Do you know why this Officer Prolux would be going after Millie?_"

"We think it may have to do with the fact that Millie embarrassed her a few months back. She made the officer publicly clear an HPD officer who was falsely accused of having relations with a hooker," Lou said. "It turned out the hooker was blackmailing both the officer in question, and three other officers. The hooker is now in jail over several counts of fraud. Not only did Millie investigate the case, she also got justice for the officers."

"_When did this happen?_"

"Just after she got the badge. One of the officers remembered her kindness and saved our butts a while back when he got a tip about a house we were about to hit. Turned out the house was a bomb waiting to happen. That was the case where NCIS agents from L.A. got involved."

"_I remember the case. And Officer Prolux is going after Millie over this?_"

"She doesn't think Millie deserves to wear the badge. The truth is, sir, she does. She's proved herself time and time again. She doesn't just support us in the office; she supports us in the field as well, and she's a great mission controller."

"Good to hear. And I don't appreciate people questioning my decisions, which is what it sounds like Officer Prolux is doing."

"Can you put a stop to this?"

"Gladly. Where do I find the little madam?" Lou told him, and Denning assured him the next call he made would be to Prolux, demanding her presence at his office, pronto.

Millie woke up slowly, blinking in confusion. Where was she? She tried to lift her left wrist, only to discover it was cuffed to a hospital bed. The last thing she remembered was talking to a guy in hospital scrubs and a white jacket, and feeling someone prick her finger again. Then she remembered dozing off. According to her watch, that was an hour ago.

_What the hell?_

A note beside the bed caught her attention. It was in Steve's handwriting.

"_Gone to make a few calls. Sorry about the cuffs, Nani, but I don't trust you to stay put. Love you. S_."

"You sonovabitch," Millie growled. "You are so going to suffer for this."

She looked around the ER cubicle for her purse and spotted it on a nearby table. Pulling it towards her, she dug through it, searching for something. It seemed her boyfriend didn't know about the special key on her keychain, or he would have taken them, she thought triumphantly, holding up her keys. On one O-ring was a black, slender universal handcuff key. She was uncuffed in seconds.

After removing the hospital bracelet with the seatbelt cutter from her 2-in-1 window breaker keychain, she took the cuffs, put them in her purse, grabbed her sunglasses, and, after checking to see if no one was watching, quickly left the ER area. It wasn't hard to slip away unnoticed, given that the ER was rapidly turning into a madhouse; something about a multi-vehicle accident. No way she was staying there, not when other people needed the space, people who were seriously injured, compared to her.

Spotting Steve outside, pacing as he talked on his cellphone, an evil grin came across her face.

She checked her wallet and dug out enough change for a cold can of pop. Then, moving quietly, she snuck up behind him, suddenly yanked the hem of his shirt up, and placed the can against his bare skin.

He yelled in shock and spun around. His eyes went wide when he saw Millie, who smiled sweetly at him.

"Steve! You okay? What the hell's going on?" Danny demanded over the phone.

"Yeah, I'm fine, I'm fine. Millie pulled a fast one on me. She managed to get herself uncuffed," Steve said, looking at Millie with wide eyes as she casually popped the tab on her _Barq's Rootbeer_ and took a swallow.

"_How?_"

"I have no idea."

"_How fast can you run?_"

"From the look on her face, not fast enough. Keep me posted."

"_Good luck_."

Steve thumbed off his phone. "How did you get out of those cuffs?" he asked.

"Next time, don't leave my purse where I can reach it," Millie shot back. "I do not like being cuffed, buster, and you are so going to suffer for that."

"What about the cuffs on the headboard?" he asked, grinning at the furious blush that swept across her face.

"Those cuffs and these cuffs are two different things, you jerk," she snarled, taking the metal cuffs out of her purse and slapping them against his chest. "And if you're not real careful, you'll find yourself back in them, top and bottom, with a feather and a blindfold."

"You have a real kinky streak, you know?" he teased, putting the cuffs back on his belt.

"Not as kinky as it could be. Now, I have work to do and I want to get back to HQ."

"Fine, for an hour. Then you're going home." When Millie opened her mouth to protest, Steve held up a warning finger. "You collapsed from exhaustion and emotional stress. You've been ordered by the doctor to take two weeks off, and you are going to, even if I have to bar you from Headquarters to get you to take that time off."

"What about IA and Moore?" Millie demanded.

"Lou and Kono are dealing with IA. Chin was talking to Ellie about Moore, and Danny just had your vet forward everything they had on Lunkhead to Drew for a second opinion," Steve said. "The governor is not happy about what Polux is doing and said there's going to be some head rolling before long."

"What about Zack? Surely a judge would have convened an emergency hearing by now."

"He will be, in about an hour. You are welcome to be there, but after that, you are going on vacation."

"Steve, I can't. I have too much to do."

"Yes, you can. You've been pushing yourself too hard, sweetie."

"Oh, and like you don't?" she demanded.

"I've had years of training," he reminded her gently, rubbing her shoulders. "But that doesn't mean I don't have nightmares."

Millie bit her lip, folding her arms across her chest. "I'm not weak. I can handle this. I have to," she said, not looking up at him.

"Weak? Who said anything about you being weak?" When she looked up at him, he knew. "Janice. She called you weak a lot, didn't she?"

"Her and Peter especially," Millie admitted. "A lot, when I was upset about something or I got hurt. They'd tell me to suck it up, that I was just being a wimp, that I was a weakling."

"Come here, come here," he said, moving to sit down beside a stone bench under the shade of a nearby tree. Then he gathered her against him and held her tightly. "You are not a weakling. You have PTSD, and that can happen to anyone. The important thing, the most important thing, is to talk about it. Don't keep it buried inside, babe, or it'll eat you up alive."

"I don't know how to talk about it," she admitted. "I'm used to taking care of myself; been doing that for years."

"You're 'ohana. You're not alone, remember?"

"And I'm grateful for the support and friendship you guys have shown me, okay, but something like this, it just doesn't change overnight, 'ohana or not."

"I know. Took me a while to learn how to stop being a SEAL and be a human being sometimes, especially around the others. It's not easy, but it is doable. Now, what's this about your wrist?"

"What do you mean?"

"You've covered up the scars with a watch you usually wear on your left wrist instead of your right."

It took a moment, but Millie finally admitted the truth. "I hate the scars. They remind me of how close I came to dying, because I wasn't strong enough or knowledgeable enough to fight back. It took a damn fool cat to save my life and now he might lose his life because of me."

"You don't know that, sweetie. I told you; Danny had your vet send Drew all they could on Lunkhead. If he thinks there's a chance Lunkhead will survive, he'll tell you the truth. That cat of yours is too damn stubborn to die just yet." Millie couldn't help but laugh. Then he surprised her by taking her wrist and removing her watch. He pressed a kiss to the scars, then her forehead, and finally her lips. "You are not weak. The fact that you've managed to do so much on your own, to strike out on your own without any family or support, that takes a lot of courage, and I admire you for that," he said, leaning his head against hers. "Take the vacation. It doesn't make you look weak; it makes you look human. Besides, when you get back, we're going to drive you so crazy you'll be begging for another vacation."

Millie laughed again, then laid her head on his chest and let the tears come. "I'm so scared."

"I've got you, babe. I've got you."

After a moment, she reached into her purse and pulled out a packet of tissues. She sat up, blew her nose, then sighed heavily. "Tell you what; how about a compromise?"

"I'm listening."

"I'll take a week off, solid, but then could we play it by ear the next week?"

"We can do that. If you do show up at HQ, you're on restricted duties, okay?"

"Okay." There was a hesitation in her voice as she asked the next question. "Your note said you loved me. Did you mean it, or was that just an 'ohana thing?"

He reached up and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, before drying her eyes. "I meant it, both as 'ohana and as a guy who loves you very much. You hold on to that, okay? You hold on to that."

"Okay." Then she reached up and kissed him. "I love you too, but if you cuff me like that again, I'll do more than put a cold can of pop against your bare skin next time."

He chuckled. "I consider myself warned. Now, let's go get you put on vacation before you change your mind."

Back at Headquarters, Millie found herself being engulfed in hugs and lovingly cussed at for scaring them.

"I'm okay now, I swear," she said. "I've been given doctor's orders to take time off, and I worked it out with Steve that I will take a full week off, with the second week being negotiable and playing it by ear."

"You'd better, or I'll call a couple of SWAT buddies and have you tied down," Lou threatened.

"What's the status of things?" Steve asked.

"Doctor Young, very nice lady, was quite happy to send Drew everything she had on Lunkhead," Danny said. "Drew said he'd look it over as soon as he got it and would get back to us."

"Governor Denning damn near blew a gasket when he found out about Officer Prolux," Lou said. "I sent him your file that you got from your lawyer and he assured me he would be putting a stop to the investigation. I also sent him the file on Cherry Sunday and the resulting fall-out. He's not a happy man. Something about not liking his decisions questioned."

"And Officer Prolux is a big a bitch as I thought," Kono said. "I spoke to her and she is firmly convinced you have no right to wear the badge or have the title, because you didn't earn it through the Academy or any other way. She thinks, but she didn't say it outright, that you got that by being on your back or by bribing somebody, namely Boss Man here."

Millie's eyes went cold, right along with Steve's.

"Excuse me?" he asked coldly.

"You heard me. She thinks you have too much control for someone who is supposed to be just an administrative assistant, or a glorified secretary, as she called you," Kono said.

"I knew she didn't like me, especially over that business with Cherry Sunday, but that's pushing it," Millie said. "Now I'm officially pissed."

"Good," Steve said.

"Spoke to Ellie about Moore and this thing of his about going after Donna on the stand," Chin said. "It turns out he's going to be self-representing himself in the trial. Ellie said he refused a plea deal of any kind, claiming self-defense against Lunkhead."

"Is there anything we can do to stop him?" Millie asked.

"She says she's going to use his lack of law knowledge against him in court, as well as character and witness testimony," Chin said. "She knows he doesn't have a lot of money, so she's going be bringing in several animal experts to testify on behalf of Lunkhead and his behavior."

"Too bad I can't bring that furball to court with me," Millie muttered.

"Why not?" Chin asked, a grin coming across his face. "Ellie says the judge presiding over the case is a woman."

"And most women are animal lovers and Lunkhead goes cutsie around females," Millie remembered. "As long as I can get away with it..."

"Put him on a harness and see what he does," Kono said, grinning. "If the court allows it, I want to be there for that."

"The only problem I might have is with the Twins," Millie said. "They've been driving me nuts since I took him to the vet. They keep wandering around the house, howling, looking for him."

"So take them with you," Danny said. "The judge would love that, and it would piss Moore off, which I would absolutely love to see happen. The madder he gets, the stupider he gets, and the bigger chance he has of blowing it with the judge."

"I'll think about it," Millie promised.

A courier arrived.

"Officer Millie Thompson?" the man asked.

"Here," Millie said.

"For you," the young woman said, handing her a sealed envelope. "Sign here."

Millie did so, and after the woman left, she opened it, revealing a letter. "It's from the Chief of Police," she said. She read it over then handed it to Steve. "Tell me I'm reading this right."

"You're reading it right," Steve said, a grin spreading across his face. "Looks like Lunkhead's been nominated for a medal of valor and he's going to be presented it at the Annual Award Ceremony in two weeks."

"Imagine how well that'll go down with the judge. Hero cat and all that," Kono said, grinning.

"That cat is never going to climb off of Cloud Nine after this," Millie groaned.


	44. Chapter 44

**Chapter 44**

Millie's cellphone rang; caller ID said it was her brother, Drew.

"Hey Drew, what do you got?" Millie asked, putting her cellphone on speaker.

"_Hey. I've had a chance to look over Lunkhead's file, and I'll be honest with you. If you don't do the amputation, he'll be in constant pain and that tumour will likely grow. If you do do the amputation, it'll stop the tumour and he'll likely live a longer life_," Drew said.

Millie chewed on her knuckle. "What about the surgery risk?"

"_There's always a risk, more so because of his age, but I honestly think his chances are very good. Based on what I saw of that walking bio-hazard of yours (_he ignored Millie's yelp of indignation_), he is in good health, and maybe about ten years old, at least_."

"Will the missing leg affect his quality of life?" Millie asked. "Will he still be able to do the things he used to do?"

"_Oh yeah, yeah, he will. He might slow down a bit, but he should be fine. And Millie?_"

"Yeah?"

"_I know how much he means to you, so I'm telling you the blunt, honest, straightforward truth here_," Drew said. "_Have the amputation done. His survival rate is very good and I think you'll get a lot more years out of him, when you do. Doctor Young and her team appear to know what they're doing. Trust them._"

Millie bit her lip, then nodded. "Okay. I'll tell them to have the procedure done. Thanks, Drew. I appreciate this."

"_Not a problem, kiddo_." And he ended the call.

"I'm gonna go call Dr. Young and take care of some stuff," Millie said, heading for her office.

"I called her dad," Steve said to the team. "He'll be here on a flight arriving in the morning. Seems it's his turn. Oh, and he asked that we not tell Millie. Apparently he wants to surprise her."

"Heck of a surprise," Chin said.

An hour later, the judge, a Judge Vandersteen, granted Millie emergency guardianship of Zack Bergerson, once it was shown that the boy knew both Millie and her friends, and that there were witnesses to the attack on Millie. Until Zack's uncle and aunt were located and arrangements made, Zack would stay with Millie. As for Kirk Bergerson, it was highly unlikely he'd be getting out of Halawa for at least a year, due to the nature of his charges.

After the judge granted Millie emergency guardianship of Zack Bergerson, Steve sent Millie home. She did so, reluctantly, but she did. She spent the first half of the day napping and the second half of the day loading up her fridge and pantry, trying to keep her mind off Lunkhead. According to both Lou and Danny, growing teenagers could put a serious dent in the eating department, and Millie didn't know how long Zack would be staying with her. After that, she tackled her garden. Just after she'd moved in, she had discovered an overgrown, tangled mess of a garden. Her neighbour on her left kindly told her she had a variety of roses, such as the Aloha Hawaii rose and the Volcano rose.

_Since I'm being forced to take some time off, guess what I'll be doing,_ she texted Steve.

_Going after your garden and raiding the local nursery?_ Steve replied.

_Eyup. Hope my green thumb isn't actually a black thumb. Maybe I can plant some lavender bushes. I love the smell._

_Lavender grows well in this climate. Rosemary is another good one that grows around here. One of my neighbours has a rosemary bush and when the wind blows just right, you can smell it._

_Thanks for the tip. Making a list now._

_See you tonight._

Steve stayed the night with Millie and Zack, before leaving in the morning. Before he did, he extracted a promise from Millie to stay as far away from Headquarters as possible, unless she absolutely had to.

Nearly a day after the phone call Steve had made to the Phelps family, Mike Phelps was landing in O'ahu.

Mike stood about Steve's height, had salt and pepper hair that was more salt than pepper, with inquisitive dark blue eyes, and wore a lilac open-neck dress shirt, dark blue jeans, brown belt, brown and black slip-on shoes, and tan plaid sports jacket. He carried a black carry-on and as soon as he spotted Steve, he waved in acknowledgement and walked over to him. Steve noticed he walked with what might be called a command presence; head and shoulders straight and tall, sure of himself, sure of what he was doing and where he was going. He reminded Steve of Navy officers who had seen it all, done it all, and were not one to screw around with. He was the boss, and he had earned every inch of it.

"Commander McGarrett?" he asked.

"Call me Steve, sir," Steve said, shaking the offered hand. "Welcome to O'ahu and thanks for coming on such short notice."

"Call me Mike, and hey, it's my baby girl we're talking about here," Mike said, following him to the luggage carousel. While they waited for his suitcase, he quickly sent off a text message to his wife, letting her know he'd arrived safely and met up with Steve.

Once they had his suitcase, Steve led him to his truck. Mike whistled when he saw the bright sunshine and dug his sunglasses out of his jacket, putting them on before taking his jacket off and rolling up his sleeves.

"It was a bit chilly in Portland when I left," he said. "This isn't chilly; this is actually quite pleasant."

"Glad you think so. Coffee?" Steve asked, smiling.

"Please. And then you can tell me what's going on with Millie," Mike said.

As Steve drove through the city, he recounted what he knew. "She's been ordered to take two weeks off, but she tried to negotiate it down to one week."

Mike snorted with laughter. "That's my girl. How well did that go down?"

"It didn't. We wound up working out a compromise," Steve admitted. "She takes a week off completely and then plays it by ear the second week. If she wants to come in and help, then she's on restricted duties."

"Fair enough. I'm on vacation for a week, anyway." He rubbed his hands gleefully. "How's the fishing around here?"

"Pretty good, if you know where to go and what you're fishing for. Chin and I can point you in the right direction."

"Appreciate that. I only have one request."

"Yes sir."

"Show me the file on the bastard who hurt her so I know what I'm dealing with before I see her."

"Consider it done. I'll take you to HQ then to Millie's home."

"Thanks. Much appreciated." He rubbed what looked like a faint scar above his left eyebrow.

"What happened there?" Steve asked, curious about his companion.

"Oh, that. That's an old scar. Itches every now and then. Drew, my youngest boy, he went through a baseball thing when he was a boy, so I tried to be there for his games," Mike explained. "During one game, he hit a home run. It would have been beautiful, too, except it went thataway instead of that way." Mike clicked his tongue. "Don't know which hurt more; the four stitches I got, or the nut shot I got a game later, when I tried to catch a fly ball that bounced." He glanced at Steve, who was trying valiantly not to laugh. "Go ahead and laugh. Got knows Susie did when she heard."

"I'm sorry," Steve said, giving in to the laughter while trying to steer straight.

A short while later, coffee in hand, they pulled up to Headquarters. Mike reached into his carry-on and dug out his badge.

"Don't know how well it'll work here, but it's worth a try," he said, clipping it to his belt, opposite his cellphone holder.

They headed in and were heading up the stairs but were stopped when they heard a commotion. It was Duke and two others trying to wrangle a local with tattoos up and down his arms, back, and neck. Steve watched as Mike tilted his head, watching.

Then the man broke free with a strangled yell. He didn't get very far.

"Millie was right; you guys do do things differently in Hawaii," Mike said, rubbing his knuckles.

"That was stupid, Busta," Duke said, joining them, glaring at the groaning man on the floor, who was holding his face.

"Busta, huh?" Mike asked, watching as the officers hauled him up. "How about you start calling yourself Busta Nose, because that's what you've got now."

Duke and Steve chuckled.

"No thanks to you, man," Busta snarled.

"Well, if you hadn't gone and Busta move, I wouldn't have Busta your nose," Mike shot back, grinning.

"I hate you," Busta said as he was led away.

"Thanks for the assist," Duke said.

"Duke, this is Detective Sergeant Mike Phelps, Millie's dad," Steve said. "Mike, Sergeant Duke Lukela."

"Good to meet you, sir," Duke said, shaking Mike's offered hand.

"Likewise. Millie's spoken highly of you and I appreciate the way you guys went after Moore," Mike said.

"Oh that was fun, trust me," Duke said. "I think I saw her heading upstairs a few minutes ago."

Steve scowled. "She's supposed to be on a doctor-ordered vacation."

"This is Radar we're talking about," Duke pointed out.

"Good point," Steve said, heading up the stairs.

They found Millie over by the computer table, talking with the rest of the team. Steve's eyebrows went up. Gone were the slacks and shirt she had been wearing earlier. Now she wore a long-sleeve white cropped fishnet shirt over a neon green triangle bikini top, denim cut-off shorts, denim slip-on shoes, no socks, and sunglasses were on her head.

Mike just smiled and shook his head. "You're supposed to be on vacation, Babs," he chided gently.

Her eyes went wide, and then she was running towards him. He met her halfway and hugged her as tightly as she was hugging him, lifting her up off her feet.

"I will be," she said, her voice muffled by his shirt. "As soon as I take care of a few things here."

"Yeah? Then what?" he asked, pressing a kiss to her temple.

"Maybe work on my garden, keep myself distracted enough," she said. "Ellie needs me to come in later this week, because of Moore, and I need to deal with IA, somehow. How much do you know?"

"Steve told me everything. What about that cat of yours, Lunkhead?" Mike asked, leading her back to the rest of the team, keeping his arm around her shoulders.

"I took Steve's advice and had Doctor Young forward Drew everything he could. He said it was worth the risk, and I told them to go ahead with it. They kept him overnight and I should be picking taking him home today," Millie said. "Along with a month's worth of fresh fish."

"Good. I can't wait to meet that walking bio-hazard of yours," Mike said, grinning.

"Drew still holds a grudge, doesn't he?" Millie groaned.

"Your brother doesn't forgive and he doesn't forget; you know that."

"Eyup. Guys, this is my dad, Detective Sergeant Mike Phelps, Portland PD, Robbery Division. Dad, meet Danny, Chin, Lou, and Kono. Steve, can I talk to you for a moment, please?"

"Don't hurt him too much, Babs; he did the right thing by calling me," Mike said, pressing a kiss to her head before letting her go to shake Danny's hand.

"It's good to meet you, sir," Danny said.

"Mike wants to see Don Moore's file and the case file on what happened," Steve said.

"Easy to do," Danny said. "This way, sir."

Steve and Millie went over to one side and she hugged him tightly.

"I figured you were up to something. Thank you," she said, savouring the feel of his arms around her and the comforting thump of his heart under her ear.

"You're more than welcome, sweetie. You take care of yourself and Lunkey. We'll take care of IA and Moore."

"What about Donna? If that bastard goes after her on the stand, it'll be like an attacker going after his rape victim again, and she doesn't deserve that."

"We have some ideas about how to handle that," he said. "We'll be there, one way or another." He leaned his forehead against hers. "I love you, you know?"

She smiled. "I love you too, and right now I'm holding on to that."

"You do that. Promise me something?"

"I'll try."

"Take care of yourself. Your dad is going to be here for a week. Have some fun, and don't worry about us, okay?"

"No promises on the not worrying about you guys, but I do promise to try and have some fun," she said. "Expect to hear from me regularly."

"Not too regularly, okay?"

"Okay. Once a day?"

"That'll do." And he kissed her. "Now, take your dad and go have some fun. I'll catch you later."

She smiled.

When Millie and Steve rejoined the team and Mike at the table, it was in time to see her cellphone ringing; it was Doctor Young's office.

"Millie Thompson," Millie said, answering the call.

"_Good morning, Millie. This is Debbie, from Doctor Young's office. I'm calling regards to your cat, Lunkhead_," a pleasant voice said.

"I was just on my way to visit," Millie said. "How is he?"

"He _is doing just fine. I'm just calling to let you know that Doctor Young has checked on him again this morning and the surgery sight appears to be healing well. She is not seeing any more signs of that tumor and says by all means, take him home today_."

Millie breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you so much. I'll be there in about an hour or two."

"You're very welcome. See you in a bit," Debbie said, ending the call.

"I need to grab a few things from my office, then we'll go," she said, smiling at her father.

"Sounds good," Mike said.

While she did that, Mike spoke up. "I need a favour," he said.

"Okay," Steve said.

"You guys have resources I don't. Would it be possible to run a genetic test between me and Millie?" Mike asked.

"Do you think Millie's your daughter?" Kono asked.

"Niece," Mike said. "I had an older brother, Keegan, who was also a cop. He died when Millie would have been about two. There were things he said, things I've seen, heard. Can you do this? It's a long story, one I'll tell you over a beer later, I promise, but I don't want to say anything to Millie until I'm sure."

Steve nodded. "Sure. We'll give you a cover story, and then let Charlie Fong know. It won't be a problem."

"Thanks guys. I appreciate this," Mike said, just as Millie rejoined them, her purse over one shoulder. Then he scratched his lip as an idea came to him. "You know, this whole business with Donna and Moore and all that, I might have an idea. From what I've read, Moore is a bully. He thinks he's a tough guy who can intimidate his victims. Now, I worked the gang unit for a number of years, and a while back, a biker gang called the BACA caught the news."

"Right, right, I remember them," Millie said. "Bikers Against Child Abuse. They were actual bikers who were trained by mental health professionals, and had extensive background checks done."

"I remember hearing about that," Danny said. "They would help protect children who were victims of all kinds of abuse, by either being there in court for them, or just hanging around."

"What I remember the most is one judge asked this kid if he was scared. The kid said no. Why? Because his friends were scarier than his perpetrator," Mike said. "Now, I don't know if the BACA has a chapter here, but I don't think it would be too hard to make it look like that."

"Wait a minute," Chin said, an idea coming to him. "Wasn't there that biker gang who helped us look for Ella Bishop a few years back?"

"There was, yeah," Steve said, seeing where Chin was getting at. "Tip Gilbert and his guys. I think I still have their number around. First chance we get, we'll give them a call and ask for a favor. Now you, I'll help you get your dad's luggage, then you get out of here, okay? I don't want to see you around here for the rest of the week, unless you absolutely have to," he said to Millie.

"Yes sir," she said, smiling tiredly.


	45. Chapter 45

**Chapter 45**

It seemed that when Mike and Millie got together, things could go from boring to crazy in an instant flat, Steve realized later.

Take, for instant, the barbeque party Mike had thrown the next day. Lunkhead was home and doing well, and as far as he was concerned, that was good enough reason to have a party. Mike had later spoken quietly to him and Danny.

"Zack admitted his dad used to knock him and his mom around quite a bit," Mike said. "He seemed surprised by the way I am with Millie, so I wanted a chance to show him what family is supposed to be like."

"Looks like you're doing a pretty good job," Danny said, watching Zack give Grace a piggy back ride.

"He's a good kid. I also wanted to find out what you guys were like," Mike admitted. "Both Susie and Millie have spoken very highly of you guys, and this is my baby girl we're talking about."

"She's been a great addition to the team," Steve said. "She said you taught her how to shoot?"

"Lot of time on the gun range," Mike admitted. "Case of she was working around guys who had guns and Millie being Millie, she wanted to understand, so I taught how to shoot, how to clean, and how to properly store a gun. She wasn't too happy about having to carry a gun on the job, but accepted as part of her job. Is it true she smartmouthed the governor of Hawaii and landed this gig?"

"It's true. Seemed she didn't know who the guy was and didn't care," Steve said, grinning. "Told him that unless he had coffee to bribe her with, get out from under her feet. Next thing she knows, she's getting a call and being offered this job."

Mike laughed. "Yup. That's Babs."

"Why do you call her Babs?" Danny asked.

"You ever seen the Tiny Toons Adventures cartoon show?" Mike asked.

"Reluctantly yes, and usually with my daughter," Danny said. "Pink girly rabbit with bows and skirt and all that."

"Exactly. One day Millie wore that exact outfit, right down to the purple skirt and bows in her hair, and I took one look at her and started calling her Babs. She hated it, but it stuck," Mike said, grinning at them. "She still hates it and I still do it."

The next day:

"Dad's taking me fishing today. Seems he's heard about the mahi-mahi and wants to try his hand at one of them," Millie said, chatting with Steve as she moved around her kitchen, getting a picnic basket ready. "Any word on Zack's auntie and uncle?"

"We located his aunt. She's on the Big Island as part of a volunteer thing, but is aware of the situation and she promised to be back as soon as possible," Steve said, moving through the building on his way to Headquarters. "She wasn't too happy about Kirk's actions, but said something about God and forgiving."

"Yeah, and you know my opinion on that."

"I do. Natalie did promise to get in touch with Adam and explain things, but she doesn't think there'll be a problem. She also appreciates what you're doing for Zack."

"Ah, he's a good kid. If he can get past this b.s. with his father, he'll be a good man and I'm pretty sure he'll make a good SEAL."

"My thoughts exactly. Enjoy your fishing trip and give Lunkey a head rub for me, okay?"

"Will do. Love you."

"Love you too, Nani."

Three hours later, Steve received a picture of Mike and Millie. Both were holding up good-sized mahi-mahi fish and grinning.

_Those are beautiful,_ Steve sent. _Nicely done._

_Dad says some will be for Lunkhead, but he's heard that these guys are fabulous on the grill. You're invited for supper_.

_Looking forward to that._

Supper, as promised, was grilled mahi-mahi, and Steve was sure Lou would be envious. He noticed Millie was starting to relax, which she needed to, and silently sent a prayer of thanks to whoever was listening that she had someone like Mike Phelps in her life.

Later, she spoke quietly to him.

"We've been doing a lot of talking," she said, enjoying the feel of his arms around her. "Told him about Moore, about the attack, everything. He's helping me deal with it."

"That's good."

"I'm never going to totally get over it, but I'm hoping I can learn to deal with it so it doesn't haunt me quite so much."

"You will. It takes time, but you will learn. You're stronger than you realize."

Two days later:

_I hate that fireplace thingie. Decided I was going to tear it down and do a natural stone thing. Got a contractor hired for the putting up but gonna have some fun tearing it down with Dad. Great stress relief._

_What are you going to do for the stone?_

_That'll be half the fun. Going to go visit those rock and stone places and get some from around the area._

_Have fun._

_Always. Love you._

Steve smiled as he read the last message on his phone. It looked like Millie was going to be busy for a day or two, which was what she needed.

"Just heard from Charlie," Steve said, catching up with Danny. He had been chatting with Charlie before Millie's messages had come in. "It's confirmed; Millie is Mike's niece." He started typing on the computer table, pulling up a name and a face. "Officer Keegan Phelps, Portland PD. He died in 1989; killed in the line of duty while trying to protect a civilian during a convenience store robbery."

"Hell of a way to go," Danny said.

Out of curiosity, Steve threw up Millie's file photo and compared it to Keegan's and Janice's. "Similar hair colour and facial shape to Janice, but her eyes are Keegan's," he said.

"So what happened? Did Keegan know he had a daughter? Did Janice even tell him for that matter?" Danny asked. "If he had known, would he have wanted her? Would that crazy bitch have even let him?"

"Mike might know, but he might not," Steve said, going through Keegan's file. "Pretty clean record for most of his five-year career. On the day he died, he stopped at a convenience store and interrupted a robbery in progress. He tried to protect the cashier but was shot twice by the second robber that he apparently didn't realize was there. The first shot would have been survivable, but the second shot caught him in the head and he died two days later after his family took him off life-support."

"Jeeze," Danny groaned.

Newspaper reports popped up. "Looks like he was posthumously awarded both the Police Star and the Medal of Valor by the Portland PD," Steve said. "Funeral service says he was cremated as per his wishes."

"Not many pallbearers needed for that one," Danny quipped. Then another newspaper report popped up, along with a picture. "_Big Turnout for Meet Your Officer Day_," Danny read. Then he noticed the caption for the picture. "_Officer Keegan Phelps with Wilma Bryant and her grandmother, Debbie Thompson._ Wait a minute. She can't be more than a year old in that picture."

Baby Millie was looking up at Keegan with wide, fascinated eyes, as he cuddled her, smiling down at her. His hat was on her head and she was beaming at him, a toothy smile on her face. Behind them, Debbie smiled at them.

"That's Millie as a baby?" Lou asked, joining them."She was a cutie," Lou said.

"What I don't get though, is how anyone could miss that," Danny said. "I mean, maybe I'm prejudiced here, but Millie is definitely Keegan's kid. I can see it in their face and in their smiles. How the heck could someone have missed that?"

"I don't know," Steve said. "Maybe because nobody was looking. Mike might have some answers. He was initially suspicious."

Another newspaper clipping popped up. It was dated the day after Keegan's file said he was murdered.

_Police Officer Killed in the Line of Duty._ The story went on to say how Keegan had died trying to protect a twenty year-old cashier college student when his store was hit by two armed robbers. Attached to the story was Keegan's service photo and one of him kneeling next to a little girl in a denim romper, appearing to be playing with her. There was a speculative look on his face, but his eyes were covered by his sunglasses. According to the caption, that particular photograph was one of the last known pictures taken of Keegan.

"That looks like Millie," Danny said.

"Looks like Keegan was starting to wonder," Lou said.

"Time to let Mike know," Steve said, taking out his cellphone. He sent a simple message to Mike that would tell him everything he needed to know. _Congrats, Uncle._

He received a reply a moment later.

_Thanks. Going to have to have a chat with Babs._

"That's going to be one fun conversation," Lou said.

Mike put his cellphone away, having just sent the last message to Steve. His suspicions were right; Millie was his niece.

"Everything okay, Dad?" Millie asked. They were about to head out to a landscape stone dealer to discuss the stone they needed for the fireplace.

"Yeah, but we need to talk, Babs," Mike said. "And there is no easy way to do this." He moved to go sit at the breakfast bar in her kitchen, thoughts swirling through his head.

"What's up?" she asked, joining him.

"Do you remember ever hearing about my older brother, Keegan?" he asked.

"I think so. He died in the line of duty years ago, right?"

"He did. It seems that, before he did, he did a little tango with your mom."

Millie blinked, trying to understand. "From what little I was able to get out of that crazy bitch the last time the subject of my parentage came up, my biological father was some guy she screwed around with while Hubby was at sea. She never did tell me his name."

"Well, his name was Keegan Ronald Phelps," Mike said.

"Are you sure?"

"I've had my suspicion for years. Steve kindly availed me of your resources and a very nice Charlie Fong."

"That was what that CODIS thing was about? Running a genetic test on us?" Millie asked.

"Yeah. Just got the results back. You're my niece."

Millie's eyebrows shot up. "Seriously?"

"Seriously." Mike sighed, remembering. "Some years back, before you were born, I remember Keegan telling me about a woman he was seeing. Said her name was Janice. Then he dumped her after finding out she was married, which went against his personal code. Never heard anything about her again after that. Fifteen years later, I see you sitting in that jail cell, and you looked at me, and I swore my heart stopped. I didn't just see you, I saw my brother's eyes."

"What happened to him? I know you said he died in the line of duty, but beyond that..." Millie struggled to sort through a rising surge of conflicting emotions and questions. _Why hadn't Janice told Keegan about her? Would he have wanted her if he'd known? What was going to happen now?_

"According to the reports, he had stopped at a convenience store and interrupted a robbery in progress. He was able to stop one of the robbers, but didn't see the second one. Took a shot to the shoulder, got off a shot of his own, but took a second shot to the head," Mike said, growing quiet as memories came to him.

"Oh my god," Millie moaned.

"That shot didn't kill him right away," Mike continued, "but it did render him brain-dead. He was on life-support for two days before I signed the papers to have him taken off. Hardest thing I ever had to do."

"And the bastard who hurt him?"

"That shot he got off? Caught the guy in the gut. He was arrested at the hospital. He survived the surgery and is currently doing time in the Oregon State Prison, where he'll be for the rest of his life."

"I thought Oregon had the death penalty for killing a cop."

"It does, but there are mitigating circumstances. In this case, the murder was committed while committing another crime, the killer was under the age of eighteen, and it wasn't premeditated. I wasn't too happy about that, but that's the system for you."

"So what happens now? Would he have wanted me if he'd known about me? Did he know about me?"

"First of all, Babs, I don't know if he did know about you. What I do know, though, is that he mentioned he was at the stage of his life where he wanted a family of his own. If he had known about you, you can bet your bottom dollar your mother would have had a hell of a custody fight on her hands, and both Susie and I would have helped him," Mike said. "As for what happens now, you are my daughter, and nothing will ever change that. I love you as much now as I did then, and that will never change. What does change is now you have the right to know who you are. Come home with me for a couple of days, and I'll make sure you know everything I know about Keegan."

Millie bit her lip. It was tempting. Maybe it was time she made peace with her past.

"Okay. When you head home, I'll go with you for a few days," she said. _And first chance she got, she was going to HQ and looking up Keegan's file._


	46. Chapter 46

**Chapter 46**

It was late at night when Steve went by Millie's office on the way back to his. To his surprise, her reading lamp was on and she was at her desk.

He knocked on her door before going in, and she looked up from her laptop, smiling at him when she saw him.

"Hey," she said, standing up to accept his kiss over her desk before sitting back down.

"Hey yourself. You're supposed to be on vacation. What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Reading about Keegan Phelps," she admitted, taking off her reading glasses and rubbing the bridge of her nose. "Did Dad tell you?"

"That you're his brother's daughter? Yeah. He asked us for help with the testing," Steve admitted, snagging the tripod cane chair she kept behind her desk and between the wall and her filing cabinet. She had put it there for such a purpose, when she and another team member needed to discuss something on her laptop, such as reports. The tripod cane chair took up almost no space and was easy on the back and buttocks.

She nodded. "No surprise there."

"How do you feel about that?" he asked.

"Right now, I'm not sure what to think," she admitted. "His file says he was a good officer and he saved someone's life at the cost of his own, and Dad says he was a good man. It's just I've got so many questions."

"What sort of questions?"

"What was he like? What personality traits do I share with him? Why didn't Janice say anything to me or to the Phelps family? God knows she never wanted me," Millie said. "Why didn't he know? Would he have wanted me if he had known? Dad said he was talking more and more about wanting a family of his own. Would I have been accepted, if he had known? Who am I?"

"I wish I could answer those questions for you, sweetie," he said, meaning it.

"So do I. Which is why, when Dad goes back, I'm going to go with him for a few day. I need answers, and I think Janice has them. Dad also mentioned they still had a box of Keegan's personal stuff, plus there are still a few people in the PPD who knew Keegan and who would probably be willing to talk to me."

"Can't hurt to try. What about Janice?"

"Oh, she and I are going to have a chat, I guarantee you that. How that will go will depend on the mood I'm in when I finally speak to her."

"Don't kill her. We need you back here," he teased.

"If I do, I'll make damn sure the murder can't be traced back to me."

"Good girl."

She shoved a rusty metal box towards him. "Take a look in there, tell me what you think."

Curious, Steve opened the box. The hinges creaked in protest, but gave him no trouble. "Where did you find this?" he asked, finding a set of dog tags in the box, along with an old M1911A1 .45 caliber pistol, the empty clip also in the box, and a leather-bound diary.

"Would you believe in my fireplace?" she asked. "It was hidden in the wall, where the mantel was, before Dad and I tore it down. I think it had to do with Mr. Iwa, because when we started tearing down the facade, the activity in the house started kicking up in ways it's never done before."

"Such as?" he asked, going through the diary carefully. It was dated around the start of the Korean War and belonged to a Private Michael Bennett. The handwriting was legible enough he figured he wouldn't have too much trouble reading it later.

"Doors started slamming like the wind had caught them, except the windows were closed, both Po and Elless suddenly went nuts and started hissing at something none of us could see, and there was a crashing noise in my garage, but everything was fine when I checked."

"That's weird."

"Yeah, and then when we found the box, all the activity suddenly stopped. It was like he'd given up."

"Huh. Mind if I read this? I love this kind of stuff."

"Help yourself," she said. "Where could I find out who he was? Because I'm wondering if this Private Bennett and Mr. Iwa are the same person, and if so, what caused him to hide that stuff?"

"The Army should still have records from that era. Shouldn't be too hard to find him, especially with the dog tags. I think I remember someone who can help us, from a prior case."

"What about the gun? Is it serviceable or do I need to clean it?"

Steve put the journal down and picked up the gun. After examining it closely, especially the slide and the chamber, he concluded that the gun could be serviceable again with a bit of cleaning . "It's a US Army-issue Colt M1911A1, and in pretty good shape. Needs a bit of cleaning, but it looks like it could still fire. Why?"

"Maybe I'm paranoid, but you never know if we might need a throwaway gun," Millie said. When Steve stared at her, she shrugged. "I hear things. I'm sure the guys have, too."

"Fair enough. Just pray we never need it."

"Amen to that." Then she got a sly grin on her face. "Now, a new question."

"Okay."

"How much space do you have under your desk?"

"Why?"

"Because I haven't seen you in a few days and I've got too much company at my house right now. I think we're overdue for a little one-on-one, don't you?"

Steve's eyes went wide. "If I think you're thinking what I think you're thinking, I don't have anything on me."

She smiled even wider and leaned in close, teasing him a little with her lips against his. "That's okay. I saw my doctor a while back and she put me on the Pill to try and help regulate my cycle."

"Good to know. Didn't realize you were having problems," he said, stealing a kiss and feeling the heat build.

"Just a little bit. Nothing serious. But if we're going to keep meeting up like this, I want a backup plan, just in case," she said huskily, stealing another kiss before darting just out of his reach.

"Good to know. I don't know how much room there is under my desk, but if we push the chair back, there should be enough..."

She smiled.

Afterwards, as the heat cooled, Millie lay with her head on his shoulder. It was a bit cramped, but it wasn't bad, and it had been kind of fun.

"I need you to promise me something," he said, stroking her back.

"Okay, if I can," she said.

"Promise me you'll come back."

Millie adjusted herself so she could look at him. He was serious, she realized, and realized the request was coming from the fact that the last time Catherine left, she was gone for about a year. He needed to know she was coming back.

She smiled. "I promise you I'll come back, and when I do, hopefully I'll have the answers I need. This island is my home, and you guys are my family." Then , managing to keep a straight face, she continued. "Besides, who the hell else is going to keep you in line? Everyone else is too terrified to!"

"Excuse me!" he yelped indignantly. Seeing the growing grin on her face, he said, "Oh, you are going to suffer for that!" before pulling her down and proceeding to tickle her, which proceeded to lead to another session.

The next day, the contractors finished the fireplace wall, with Millie watching with a critical eye. Natalie was due to arrive for supper and she would meet with Zack. If Zack decided he liked her enough, then he would move in with her and Adam. She had assured Millie that if Zack truly did want to join the Navy, then they would support him, possibly even help him get into Annapolis, if that was the route he chose to take. As for the fact that Adam was a Protestant Chaplain and Zack didn't adhere to any particular religion, that wasn't an issue.

"_Adam has always preached tolerance and love of one another,_" Natalie said in their phone conversation. "_The fact that Zack is his nephew and needs to be loved and supported, that's more than enough for him. The same applies to me. I help take care of God's creatures, and they don't appear to have a particular religion of their own. All that matters is the kindness, the tolerance, and the loving._"

"Then you love him right, the way he deserves to be, or you'll find dealing with my form of religion," Millie said. "And it includes a gun, a badge, and the courts of Hawaii."

"_I hear you loud and clear_," Natalie said.

Later:

_The supper went well. Zack told me and Dad he liked Natalie and she seemed like a decent person. Better than his mom and dad,_ Millie text Steve that night.

Good, Steve text back. _What's going to happen now?_

_Zack will move in with her after school tomorrow. She's got a nice bedroom set up for him and it seems she's very much the cat lover. She has two of her own and says they are lap cats who demand to be petted by anyone who walks in the door._

_That's good. How's Lunky doing?_

_He's doing better. Hates the cone, of course, but it's only for a few more days. How much do you think Gracie will charge me if I ask her to keep an eye on the kitties for me?_

_An arm and a leg, but she'll love every minute of it._

_Of course. How's Private Michael's diary?_

_Interesting. Seems he had a good reason for changing his name. He went AWOL. Tell you more in the morning._

_Okay. Love you._

_Love you too._

The next day, after Zack headed for school, Millie and Mike joined Steve for coffee and breakfast at a favorite breakfast place.

"Private Michael Bennett was Michael Iwa," Steve began. "About a month into his first tour of Korea, he witnessed a massacre, where over a dozen villagers were ordered killed at gunpoint by his commanding officer. They were supposed to be rooting out North Korean guerillas, but the problem was, no one was quite sure who was who."

"Oh my god," Millie groaned.

"What did Michael do?" Mike asked.

"He hated what he was being ordered to do, so he pointed his gun over the heads of the villagers and fired, trying not to hit anyone, especially the women or children. He took a shrapnel wound three days later to the stomach and got sent to Tokyo to recover. First chance he got, he got the hell out of there," Steve said. "The journal describes what he saw, including the name of his commanding officer, and the nightmares he lived with in the days following." He pulled out a map and indicated several Philippine islands . "His journal says he jumped a fishing boat and basically made his way down through these islands over the course of a year, becoming a respected fisherman, until he came to Hawaii. He hoped islands a few more times, landed in O'hau, and fell in love with a local girl. By that time he was going by Michael Thomas, and when he married Hawika, his wife, he took her family name instead of her taking his name. At one point during their courtship, he told her about what had happened, and her father adopted him, forgiving him for what happened even when he couldn't forgive himself."

"That's a good reason for hiding those things," Mike said. "He could have been charged with desertion and his life would have been hell afterwards."

"And because he was a Private, yelling at someone about something like that massacre would not have done any good," Steve said. "At that stage of the war, everyone was paranoid and a lot of people were looking to make a name for themselves. Killing North Korean guerillas was a good way to do it."

"Were there any survivors?" Mike asked.

"Michael thought so, as he was sure he saw several people running for the forest afterwards," Steve said.

"What if someone recognized him after all these years? A child, maybe? Someone who was a little less forgiving than the Iwa family was?" Millie suggested. "That could explain why he was shot with no apparent motive."

"I'm wondering that too," Steve admitted. "That's why I'm going to go back through the original police reports and see what I can find."

"Have fun with that. I'm going to be heading back to Portland tomorrow morning," Mike said. "Millie says she'll be going with me for a few days."

"She told me. I'll let you know what I find," Steve promised, making plans to stop by a jewelry store. Millie wasn't leaving without something that marked her as his, as far as he was concerned.

"I appreciate that," Mike said.

"I've also reached out to a contact in the Army and he promised me he would see if he could find Private Michael Bennett's records," Steve said. "I don't know what we'll find, but it's worth a try."

"Always is. What's on your agenda for today?" Millie asked.

"I've got to catch up to the rest of the team. The governor has us on security detail for an outgoing flight," Steve said. "Then afterwards, Danny and I need to have a chat with someone in regards to that shooting from two days ago."

"The one at Hoaloha Park?" Millie asked.

"That one. I think this one is going to be a hard case to crack, because the victim had more enemies than he had fingers and toes combined," Steve admitted. "Several of the people we've spoken to have admitted to wanting the guy dead."

"Oh lovely," Millie said.

"I do not envy you with this case," Mike said. "I've had cases like that and they are nothing but headaches. Everyone has a motive but who actually killed the guy?"

"I can already feel a headache coming on," Steve admitted.


	47. Chapter 47

**Chapter 47**

Millie and Mike would be catching an early morning flight to Portland. Steve would be driving them to the airport with Blackbird so Millie could avoid parking fees, as she didn't quite know how long her trip was going to be.

Mike threw another barbeque party, partly for Zack and partly for Millie. He had come to realize how close she was to the Five-0 team, having listened to her conversations and seen her interactions with them. As far as he was concerned, they were a good bunch, and Steve was a good man. His baby girl was in good hands.

"What are you going to do about Janice?" Adam asked, aware of the situation through Kono.

"She and I are going to have a chat, trust me," Millie said. She was aware that the team knew about her biological background, and it made it easier to talk about. "I want answers and I will get them, one way or another, even if I have to take a page out of Steve's playbook."

"And what's that?" Mike asked, curious.

"Take the book and burn it," Danny said.

"Been there, done that," Chin said, grinning amid the laughter.

"Oh, are we talking about the live grenade thing or the Vitamin B-12 thing?" Danny asked innocently. "Because both were fun."

"What about the time you strapped that drug dealer on the hood of your car and we took him for a ride?" Steve asked.

"There was also the shark cage thing and the hanging that Russian guy off the roof thing," Danny said. "Plus the time you strapped a live grenade to a pawn shop owner's safe door, and the blind-folded juror thing over that cheap steel case thing."

"Blind-folded juror?" Millie repeated, eyes wide.

"A case involving a murdered teen turned out to be part of a bigger case involving a construction company using below-grade steel," Chin explained.

"We grabbed one of the juror's who was involved in the whole thing, blind-folded him, and made him think we were part of the team that was part of the whole conspiracy and that he was standing over a fifty-foot cliff," Steve said. "He wasn't. It was more like three feet."

Mike laughed. "Nice."

"And Dad?" Millie said.

"Yeah?"

"Half of the stunts they pull do not make it to the reports. I'm too afraid to!" Millie said.

"They're not that bad!" Steve shot back indignantly.

"Really? Let's talk about the time you convinced a construction worker to let you use his backhoe on a house to convince a barricaded suspect to come out?" Millie shot back. "I swear, you had a little too much fun doing that."

"You're right, that was fun, but I noticed you failed to tell the D.A. that," Steve teased.

"I had enough trouble trying to explain it to the construction boss!" Millie replied. "Mind you, Duke thought it was hilarious."

"So did a dozen people on the block who hated that house," Kono said, grinning.

"What about that bomb in the toilet thing?" Millie asked. "When there was that hostage situation at that restaurant last month?"

"The owner wasn't too pissed about that," Steve said. "Said he was planning to renovate the bathroom anyway."

"Luckily for you!" Danny shot back amid the laughter. "How is it that you managed to blow up all of the toilets instead of just the one?"

"Something I saw on _Mythbusters_," Steve admitted. "They were testing a _Simpson'_s episode thing, where Bart dropped a cherry bomb into one of the toilets and made all four explode."

"Of course. Always the best place to get ideas," Danny said sagely.

"Like the time Lou and Drew found out that certain gases were indeed explosive near an open flame?" Millie asked sweetly.

"Oh, you mean that business with Lunkhead after he lost his nuts?" Steve asked. "That was funny."

"Not to me," Lou groused. "If I didn't know better, I'd swear that furball did that deliberately."

"I wouldn't put it past him," Millie said, grinning.

"Is it true you nearly landed in Steve's lap because of Lunkhead?" Mike asked.

Both Millie and Steve nodded. "Very true," Steve said. "And that was before we started dating."

"When did you two start dating, anyway?" Chin asked.

"Seriously?" Steve asked, glancing at Millie, who shrugged. "I think it was right after that Nightshade mission."

"Yeah, and then it got real serious after I forgave you guys for getting nosy about Hugh," Millie said.

"Is that why you wound up on his couch? The time when I found your dress and you wearing his shirt?" Danny asked, grinning.

"I had a hangover!" Millie shot back indignantly. "Anything else was going to have to wait for a while, a long while!"

"Those things are a bitch," Mike said nodding sagely. "Speaking of alcohol, did you hear about what Sean got himself into about two months ago?"

"He got suspended for about a week, if I remember right," Millie said. "Why? The twerp wasn't exactly forthcoming about the details."

"He beat the crap out of a guy who was trying to beat the crap out of his girlfriend, who was six months pregnant with her second kid," Mike said.

"Seriously?" Rene asked, eyes wide.

"Seriously," Mike said. "After his partner finally pulled him off of the prick, he went and found the woman's three year-old toddler hiding in a linen closet and took him outside to his patrol car. Gave him a teddy bear from the trunk, acted like he hadn't just put a guy in hospital. Turned out the son of a bitch wanted his now ex-girlfriend to lose the baby because he was convinced the baby wasn't his. Sean nearly went after him again; took two other officers to hold him back."

"This is Sean we're talking about, right?" Millie asked.

"Eyup," Mike said, nodding. At the puzzled expressions on the group's faces, he explained. "Sean is a quiet kind of guy. He doesn't say very much, but he's a good cop. He's also got a temper, but it's the kind that's slow to trigger and takes a lot to trigger it, and when it does, God have mercy, because he won't."

"Seeing a guy beat a pregnant woman, that would do it," Millie said. "Sean isn't built like Drew. He would rather use his mouth than his fists, and he's always been one of the last to draw his weapon on duty."

"So not the kind of cop with an itchy trigger finger," Kono guessed.

"Very much so. He's not proud of what he did, which is why he won't talk about that little dust up. Now, you want to talk funny? He's been spending a lot of time with this girl and her kid," Mike said. "In fact, he brought them over for Sunday dinner about two weeks ago. Your mom had fun."

"How serious is he?" Millie asked.

"I'm thinking serious enough that when that baby finally shows up, we're going to be hearing the ding-a-ling of wedding bells and the family is going to expand again," Mike said, a smirk on his face.

"What about the ex-boyfriend?" Adam asked.

"Dumbass is too terrified of Sean to go near Tonya and her kids anymore," Mike said. "Especially since Dwayne, the little guy, carries that teddy bear Sean gave him everywhere. Got so bad, Tonya had to have Susie help her distract him long enough for her to wash the poor thing."

"Sounds like Gracie and her stuffed monkey," Danny said. "When she finally got old enough to let go of him, I gave him to a little girl whose parents were murdered over something stupid."

"Wasn't that over the business with the Van Horns?" Chin asked.

"That's right. Their little girl is now with her aunt and doing good, last I heard," Danny said.

"You always did have a soft spot for kids," Lou said. "Mind you, most kids are pretty good."

"Says the guy who got his face painted by his daughter one day," Millie teased.

"How do you know about that?" Lou asked suspiciously.

"Who do you think helped her?" Millie asked. "That's what you get for falling asleep on your couch during the day and leaving Samantha alone with me. Took him about two minutes to figure out why Steve was laughing."

"And they did such a beautiful job, too," Steve said, grinning. "Bright neon colours."

Lou looked at his wife, who was grinning widely at him. "You were in on it, weren't you?"

"Not exactly. I just didn't stop them," Rene said.

"I am _never_ leaving you alone with my kids again," Lou said to Millie, causing a round of laughter.

_Yup, _Mike thought, watching the sparkle in Millie's eyes, _his baby girl was just fine with these bunch. Sure, they could be a little off the wall, especially with Steve and some of his methods, but they were a good bunch, and they cared about her, and that was all that mattered._

Steve stayed with Millie that night, until the early hours of the morning, when it was time for them to go to the airport.

Grace had willingly agreed to Millie's offer to feed and play with the cats for ten dollars a day until she got back. Her duties (or rather, Danny's duties) would include cleaning out the litter box on the second day.

Zack was already gone, having left last night, after dinner, with Natalie. He promised to stay in touch with them and Millie once again threatened to go after Natalie and her husband if she even thought Zack was being mistreated. As for his father, Kirk, and the house, that was out of their hands. With Kirk's sentence being just shy of a year in jail, it was likely the bank would foreclose on the house and anything else Kirk owned. No one would be coming back to that house anytime soon.

"Not that I want to anyway," Zack had said bitterly. "Been nothing but bad memories for years."

"Then go create new memories. Your aunt and uncle seem like decent people," Steve had said. "And we're never too far away."

At the airport, Mike noticed his daughter was wearing something he was sure hadn't been there before: a wide gold ring with a blue stone on a chain around her neck.

The ring was Steve's Navy graduation ring, which he had given to Millie once they were alone again, much like guys used to do in high school, when they gave their class ring to their girlfriend. He had worn it for a short time during his time with the Navy, until he'd decided to become a SEAL. Then the ring had gotten put away, until now. Now, it was, to use an old-fashioned phrase, a steady ring for Millie and Steve's way of leaving his mark on her.

Millie had assured Steve that the only time the necklace would come off her neck was if she was in trouble.

_"I promise you, I'll come back home. It shouldn't take long, four days at the most, but I will come back home," Millie promised._

_"If you don't, I'll come searching for you," Steve threatened._

_"I would expect nothing less," Millie assured him. "When we land in Portland, I'll send you a message, and I expect you and everyone else to stay in touch with me, or I'll be the one searching."_

_"Fair enough," Steve said, tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear._

_"Good. Now, stop worrying, and give me a kiss."_

_"I'm going to worry about you until I hear from you and until I know you're safe home again."_

_"You're going to go grey before you're in your forties if you keep this up."_

_"I'm a year shy of that anyway!"_

_"Good point. That just makes you an old man."_

_"You are seriously pushing your luck, aren't you?"_

_"No, not pushing. More like shoving it right out the door."_

_"Need I remind you you're pushing thirty pretty heavily?"_

_"Yeah, and?"_

_"I'm surprised you haven't started showing grey hairs yet!"_

_"What makes you think I haven't? It's called hair dye!"_

_"I wonder what you'd look like as a blonde?"_

_"Not a chance!"_

Now, Mike smirked at his daughter.

"Nice ring," he said quietly to her.

"Yes Dad, MYOB Dad," Millie shot back just as quietly, a blush staining her face.

"Should I be calling him my son-in-law anytime soon?" Mike teased.

"Not for quite some time and if you don't want a sore shoulder,_ Dad_, button it."

"You're worse than your mother for those."

"Who do you think I learned it from?"

"Figures."


	48. Chapter 48

**Chapter 48**

_We've landed and we're all good,_ Millie texted.

_Good,_ Steve replied. _How's the weather there?_

_Not too bad. Bit cool but that's what sweatshirts are for. Sean is picking Dad up but he doesn't know I'm here as well. Dad didn't tell Mom or the rest of the family._

_That's going to be a nice surprise._

_If Mom doesn't kill Dad for not telling her lol. Got to go. Sean's here and I'm about to be bear-hugged._

_TTYL. Love you._

_Love you too_.

Later:

_Hey._

_Hey yourself Nani. How goes?_

_I got bear-hugged and Dad got cussed at by Mom and Sean._

_Of course. How did they react to the news?_

_Mom got on the phone and yelled for Gabby and Gamps, Dad's parents. They hustled over, Gabby took one look at me, and bawled her eyes out. Gamps said they had never realized because it had never occurred to them to look, but now that they were, they couldn't believe they had missed it. Janice has officially p.o'd a lotta people._

_No surprise there. She p.o'd me when I met her. Guess she has that effect on people._

_It's going to get worse in the next day or so. Dad's made a few calls and there are some officers who knew Keegan. I'm glad I brought my badge with me, but I'm starting to wonder if I need to borrow a gun, especially once Janice finds out I'm in town._

_If you have to, let me know so I can let Denning know._

_Will do. What's up with you?_

_Caught a case that's going to keep us busy for a while. Guy was found with three bullet holes in his chest. Problem is, he was juggling a wife, a male lover, and a girlfriend. Plus he had a few business acquaintances he'd managed to p.o. recently._

_You've got your hands full, don't you? Let me know if you need anything._

_Will do. Got to go; Danny just located one of the suspects and we need to have a chat with him._

_Don't hurt him too much._

_I never do, unless they start the fight._

_LOL_

The next afternoon:

_Dear Koa:_

_Hope this finds you safe and well. The weather has gotten a bit chilly here and the sky is threatening rain today. Good thing I brought my football sweatjacket._

_I went with Dad to the station today, where Keegan was posted. They had his picture on the memorial wall, along with the handful of others who had died in the line of duty. Kinda sad._

_Dad introduced me to Captain Ronald McLean. He's a nice guy and when he was told who I was, I thought he was going to have a heart attack. Then he took a good, hard look at me (good thing I had my badge with me) and nodded. _

_"Yup. I can see it in your eyes and the way you hold yourself," he said. "I'm looking at you, and I'm seeing Keegan just as he was when he first started with us. What do you want to know?"_

_It seemed Keegan was known for pulling his fair share of pranks with his fellow officers. We started getting a bit of an audience and when I admitted I had done the same thing to you guys, I got a few of the other officers laughing._

_I told them about what I was doing and about you guys and the impression that I got from the officers was that they were impressed and Keegan would have been._

_By all accounts, Keegan was a good man, a good friend, and a good officer. Had he lived longer, there was no doubt in anyone's mind that he would have been a good father._

_Gamps found a box of Keegan's stuff, including a journal he was known for writing in. He had been reluctant to read it, because the journal was found in the patrol car Keegan last rode in, inside his coat. Something about being too afraid to read it because it meant reading the last thoughts his son had put down._

_Looks like I'm going to be doing some reading tonight._

_They also had his watch, which has a nasty scratch across the face. The story behind that was that Keegan had a funny habit of wearing his watch so the face was on the inside of his wrist, instead of on the outside. That habit saved his life one day, when a stoned-out druggy tried to attack him with a knife, and the watch face stopped the knife from going into his wrist. Because he was cremated, the watch didn't go with him. It's now on my wrist._

_I'm starting to get answers, but I have yet to deal with Janice. I'm not looking forward to that. Think I may have to borrow someone's gun because I'm afraid I may need it, especially since I ran into Peter at the courthouse, where Dad was taking me to meet one of the D.A.'s Keegan apparently dated after Janice._

_Peter hasn't changed for the better, I'm sorry to say. He's also the reason I want to borrow someone's gun. He reminds me of one of those peacocks with the huge feathers, strutting around and acting bigger and more important than what he really is. I was hoping to put a bullet in his knee, or even bust his nose, but Dad wouldn't let me, and neither would Detective Nick Burkhardt, or his partner, Detective Hank Griffin. Both are Homicide detectives and both were nice guys. Seems they've tangled with Peter before and they have the same opinion of him as me and Dad. Needless to say, I've made two more valuable allies._

_Anyway, I'd better sign off here. I've got a lot of reading to do, and I promise to let you know how it goes._

_For now, take care. Give Lunkhead and the Twins a pet for me, tell everyone I miss them and enjoy their text messages._

_Be safe, love, and I'll see you soon. Promise._

_Love, me._

The next morning:

"I've been reading Keegan's journal, and I read the last entry in the book," Millie said. "It was dated the day he died."

"What did it say?" Steve asked, taking a sip of his coffee. He had yet to leave for work and Danny was supposed to be picking him up soon, to go speak to yet another suspect in the murder case.

Millie began to read.

"_I saw a pretty little girl at the park today. She looked at me and waved, probably because of my uniform. I recognized her grandmother, having met them last year at the Meet Your Officer thing. I waved back, came over, and started playing with her, chatting with her grandmother. Then, I swear to God, I felt my heart stop when she smiled at me. I don't know how I know, but the moment I saw her, I knew. In my heart, I knew I was looking at my little girl. As soon as I finish my shift today, I'm going to go see Janice. Took me a little bit of digging, but I found her. For all my sins, if I have a child, a daughter, then that bitch owes me an explanation. If that little girl is mine, Janice had better have a damn good lawyer because I will fight like hell for her. If she is mine, I want her in my life, and I have no doubt Mikey will help me (like Susie would give him a choice :)). I haven't told them yet, because I want to be sure, but I know they'll help me._"

"He knew I existed and he wanted me," Millie said.

"Very much so," Steve said. "What are you going to do now?"

"Deal with Janice. I ran in to Peter yesterday, so she should know I'm in town by now."

"Be careful."

"Always. I miss you."

"I miss you too, sweetheart, and I think Lunkhead's starting to mope. He's not used to you being gone this long."

"Soon, I promise."

"That's what I told him, but I don't think he believed me. His vet needs to see him today, so I'll take care of that."

"Thanks, I really appreciate that."

"Not a problem. Looks like Danny's here, so I should get going. Love you."

"Love you too."

Later:

It was a pretty pricey-looking estate, Millie thought, glancing around at the house and the cared-for front lawn as she pulled up to the house. Mother always did like the finer things in life.

After making sure her badge and borrowed gun (courtesy of her dad) were on her hip, she rang the doorbell, then leaned against the frame, waiting. Her heart was pounding ninety to the mile and she had to fight with herself not to turn and leave. She needed answers, answers she had a right to. Mike had offered to come with her, but she assured him and the rest of the family that she would be okay.

She had to do this.

A moment later, the door opened, and Janice stared at her in shock.

Millie glared at her mother, eyes cold, taking in the older woman's elegant appearance. "You owe me an explanation. In fact, you owe the entire Phelps family an explanation," she said icily.

"I have nothing to say to you," Janice shot back, trying to shut the door.

Millie put her foot in the door, preventing that. "But I have plenty to say to you," she hissed. She held up her picture of Keegan. "Remember him? Officer Keegan Phelps. Died in the line of duty in May of 1989."

"What about him?" Janice snapped, backing away as Millie quietly stalked her into the fancy foyer.

"He's my biological father," Millie growled. "He is also Mike's older brother, which is how we found out."

"Wonderful. So what?"

Before Millie could answer, a refined gentleman in his late sixties appeared at the top of the marble stairs and made his way down.

"Janice, dear, what's going on? Who is this young lady?" the man asked.

"Officer Millie Thompson, Honolulu Five-0 Taskforce, sir," Millie said, holding up her badge before Janice could say anything, pushing back her coat to show her holstered gun. "You are?"

"I'm Victor Whaley, the owner of this house. You're a long way from home, Officer. May I ask why you're speaking with my fiancé?"

"Fiancé?" Millie shot back, eyebrows going up. She looked at Janice. "Seriously?" she asked incredulously. "Sir, I'm her daughter, formerly known as Wilma Bryant."

"She's never spoken of you," Victor said cautiously.

"No surprise there," Millie said. "I knew she hated me, but I didn't realize it was so bad she wouldn't tell you about little ol' me. Mind you, the last time we saw each other, she slapped me and wound up getting arrested for assaulting an officer. Of course, I dropped the charges after she spent the night in jail, but I also gave her a one-way ticket out of Honolulu, on the condition she never set foot on my island again," she continued, enjoying Janice's obvious discomfort.

"I see. And why are you here now?"

Millie held up Keegan's photo. "This is Officer Keegan Phelps. He's my father. In 1989, he was killed in the line of duty."

"I remember the incident; it was all over the news for months. If he is your father, then I extend some very delayed condolences," Victor asked, not sure where this was going. "What does this have to do with Janice?"

"According to his journals, Keegan dumped your fiancé when he discovered she was still married. She never told him she was pregnant with me. In fact, the day he died, he saw me and put two and two together. When he finished his shift, he was going to confront her over that," Millie said.

"Go on."

"Why are we listening to this?" Janice demanded. "This is nonsense! Victor, you know me! Surely you're not going to listen to the lies coming out of this bitch's mouth!"

"I do know you, Janice, but you also know me, and that means you know I give everyone a fair hearing. Always," Victor said patiently. "Officer, what is it that you want to know?"

"I want to know why the hell you never told Keegan I existed," Millie said coldly and quietly. "He wanted a family of his own. He wanted me! I want to know why the hell you never told him, or even his brother, for Kane's sake! It sure as hell wasn't out of love for me, because the last time we spoke, you said you should have just dumped me at a church the day I was born! Keegan would have loved me the way you never did! And if he couldn't take care of me, his brother and sister-in-law would have done so gladly!" To her horror, Millie felt tears smarting her eyes, and she fought to keep them back, but one slid down anyway. "He would have loved me, but because of you, I never got to know him," she said quietly. "And I want to know why you never told him, me, or any of the Phelps family."

Victor stared at them, his eyes going between them. Finally, he spoke.

"So do I," he said. "Janice, would you please explain this?"

"Why does it matter?" Janice demanded.

"It matters to this young lady, who has the right to know about her heritage, a heritage she claims you denied her of," Victor said.

"Fine," Janice huffed. "Paul was away at sea for weeks at a time. He made good money, but I wanted more. I thought a cop made better money than a crab fisherman, but when Keegan found out I was still married, he dumped me," she continued bitterly.

"So you paid him back by never telling him about her," Victor said.

"He wanted a family, a baby of his own. I didn't. I already had two teenage sons," Janice snapped.

"If you didn't want her, why did you keep her?" Victor asked quietly.

Janice laughed bitterly. "You can blame my mother for that. She wanted the brat. Made me keep her. As for the Phelps, who the hell cared what they needed or wanted? Keegan dumped me because I was still married. He humiliated me, and nobody, and I mean nobody, does that to me."

"You mean like the way I did back in Honolulu, when you were arrested? You spent the night in jail over that, if I recall correctly," Millie said, tapping her lips thoughtfully. "But you paid me back for that by setting IA on me, over my million dollar inheritance from Gram, money you lost when you turned your back on me when I was fifteen."

"That money was supposed to be mine," Janice snarled. "She owed me for forcing me to keep you all those years. You owed it to me for putting up with you."

"I never asked you to keep me. I never asked for that money. All I asked was to be loved," Millie said quietly. "That's all any child asks for, but because of your pettiness, your greed, I never got to know or love my father, until it was too late." A resigned sadness settled over her, and she wiped her eyes. "All I ever wanted was to be loved by you, but that's never going to happen, is it? You're going to hate me for the rest of my life, simply because I exist."

Something in a nearby mirror caught her attention; it was the ring. _Steve. Honolulu. The Five-0 team. The rest of the Phelps family. Hugh and Gram. Steve. 'Ohana._ A quote came to mind. _'Ohana means family, and family means no one gets left behind._ She had a family and they loved her.

She smiled, wrapping her fingers around the ring, which felt warm under her hand.

"I have a family," she said, nodding to herself. "It doesn't matter if you hate me, because I know I'm loved. I'm loved by the Phelps, and I'm loved by my 'ohana in Honolulu, and I'm loved by the guy who calls me his girl." She smiled. "That's enough for me." She nodded again, still smiling. "Yeah, that's enough for me." She turned to Victor and her mannerism became respectful. "Mahalo, Mister Whaley, for your time and your patience. I'm sure you and your fiancé have much to talk about."

"We do indeed, Officer," Victor said, returning the politeness. "I remember meeting your father once. He was a good man and a good officer, and if you are indeed wearing a badge, as he once did, then you are a tribute to him."

"Thank you, sir. Have a nice day. Oh, and Janice?"

"What?" Janice snarled, hating Millie with every fibre of her being.

"Life is like the currents of the ocean. What goes around will eventually come around. I think yours is about to," Millie said. "I'll see myself out, thanks."

And with that, she left.

As she drove through Portland on her way back to her parent's place, a tattoo shop caught her eye. She wondered...

An hour and a half later, she walked out of the tattoo shop with Stitch, from _Lilo and Stitch, _and the word 'Ohana tattooed on her right wrist, just past Keegan's watch. Then she called her dad.

"Hey. You busy?"

"_I'm never too busy for you, Babs. What's up? And how come I didn't hear an explosion?_"

Millie laughed. "I'll tell you guys what happened later. Right now I have a favour to ask."

"_Shoot_."

"Would it be possible for me to take some of Keegan with me when I go back? His journal mentioned wanting to see the islands one day, and if I take some of his ashes with me and put them in the ocean around the island, then he can do that, even if it's in spirit."

Mike was silent for a moment. Then, "_You know, kiddo, that is actually a damn fine idea. I think Mom and Dad would love that and I know Keegan would._ _Yeah, before you go back, we'll make sure you have some of Keegan with you_."

"Thanks, Dad. I really appreciate this."

"_How you feeling now?_"

"Worn out. Who the heck is Victor Whaley?"

"_Some rich muckity muck with a lot of money and a lot of business. Why?_"

"Because Janice is engaged to him and I introduced myself to him. He knows all about sweet, little ol' me and my history with Mommy Dearest. He wanted to hear what I had to say because, in his words, he always gave someone a fair hearing. Always. How much do you want to bet that wedding just got called off and Peter is suddenly going to find himself not as influential as he thought?"

"_You enjoyed that, didn't you?_"

"Was I supposed to?"

"_You wouldn't be you if you didn't_."

"Then you're damn right I did. Every piggin' second of it."

Mike roared with laughter.

"The most important part, Dad, is that it doesn't matter anymore. I know who I am. I know I'm loved, both here and down there. I know Keegan would have loved me and I know I'm his daughter, but I also know I'm your daughter. What Janice and Peter do now is really not my problem. I don't care anymore."

"_Sounds to me like you've made peace with yourself_."

"I have. I think, for the first time in a long time, I have. Once I take care of a few minor things, I think I'm ready to come home."

"_Good. Just hang around for another day or two, okay? Your mom misses you and we're overdue for a Phelps Sunday dinner_."

"I can do that."


	49. Chapter 49

**Chapter 49**

Millie stared at the groaning would-be mugger. He had tried to grab her around the neck when she had walked past an alleyway on the way back to her car after stopping by a grocery store for the Phelps Sunday dinner, and attempted to try and mug her.

Bad idea. Thanks to the training she'd received from Captain Dwayne Wickett, she had exploded in a fury of fists and feet. It turned out Wickett's advice about letting her nails grow a bit longer had proven pretty good. The mugger had received several nasty scratches across his face and around the eye area. Millie was also sure she'd broken his foot and was equally sure he wouldn't be thinking about sex for a while, if a woman could look at him long enough without wincing or laughing, that is.

Now he was being cuffed by Detective Burkhardt while Detective Griffin kept his weapon aimed at him. They had been across the street at a coffee shop, grabbing a cup of coffee while they could, when the fight went down.

"Why didn't you just kick me in the nuts?" the mugger moaned. "Woulda been less painful."

Millie looked at the mugger, looked at the detectives, and shrugged. "Okay." And she kicked.

Twenty minutes later she was at a station, giving Burkhardt a report on the incident.

"Where did you learn to fight like that?" he asked.

"Mixture. Partly my boss, Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett, who is also a Navy SEAL, partly a SWAT captain by the name of Captain Dwayne Wickett, who teaches rape and sexual assault victims how to fight dirty, and partly a co-worker by the name of Officer Kono Kalakaua. Steve and Kono are both part of the Five-0 Taskforce, based in Honolulu," Millie explained. "I'm their Administrative Assistant. About two months ago, I was attacked. End result was a broken wrist, fractured forearm, busted knee and ankle, and numerous bruises." She took off her watch and showed him the scars from her pins. He winced in sympathy. "My team is making damn sure that what happened before, won't happen again."

Griffin disappeared for a moment, then reappeared with a tall, interesting-looking man in a suit. "Ma'am, this is Captain Sean Renard. Sir, this is Officer Millie Thompson, Five-0 Taskforce out of O'ahu, Hawaii."

"A pleasure to meet you," Renard said, shaking her hand. "What brings you our way?"

"Well, for starters, a mugger tried to mug me, but he made the bad mistake of grabbing the wrong girl," Millie said. "Tried to tell me a kick to the nuts would have been less painful after what I did to him. Found out otherwise."

"He's being processed now," Griffin said.

"Good. And beyond that?" Renard asked.

"Portland is my home, more or less. My dad is Sergeant Detective Mike Phelps. I'm in town for one or two more days, then I'm heading back to O'ahu," Millie said. "Did any of you ever know an Officer Keegan Phelps?"

"I remember him from when I was still a patrol officer," Renard admitted.

"He was killed in the line of duty, wasn't he?" Burkhardt asked.

"He was, yes, trying to protect a store clerk at a convenience store," Millie said.

"What about him?" Renard asked.

"He's my biological father, my dad's brother, and I've been trying to talk to people who may have known him," Millie admitted.

"I do remember him," Renard said. "He was a good man, and if you're carrying a badge, then I would say you're carrying on the family tradition. The Phelps have always had cops in their family. Your brother, Sean, I think, is also a cop?"

"He is, yeah. I'm not exactly a cop, but I do wear a badge and I do carry a gun and I admit I do have a fair amount of clout with the Honolulu PD," Millie admitted.

"What, exactly, does this taskforce of yours do?" Renard asked.

"We're backed by the governor of Hawaii and we bend the rules when no one else can," Millie said. "There's five, sometimes six, of us, not including me." She pulled up a group photo on her phone and identified the team. "We're very much a family, 'ohana, as we say."

"What made you move so far away from Portland?" Griffin asked.

"Broken heart, grieving, too many ghosts, you name it," Millie said. "Now, after all these years, I'm finally starting to make peace with the past. Peter Bryant, that lawyer you guys crossed paths with?"

"The one in the over-priced suit that reminded me of a shark?" Burkhardt asked. "What about him?"

"He's my half-brother. I have one other, Sam, that I'm debating about saying hello to or not, before I leave." Millie shrugged. "I do need a favor, though."

"In exchange for your number, anything," Burkhardt said.

"A copy of this report sent to Steve, please. He gets a little cranky when these things happen, especially if Governor Denning finds out."

"Easy to do," Burkhardt said.

"Thanks. I'll let him know," Millie said. She put her phone on speaker and speed-dialed Steve's cellphone.

Honolulu:

Steve groaned. The Minion's Banana Song ringtone had just started playing on his cellphone, which he had programmed for Millie. Unfortunately, her timing was lousy, big time, as both he and Danny had their hands full at the moment.

"Someone grab my phone and answer it! It's Millie and if I don't answer, she's going to worry!" he yelled.

"Millie's ringtone is a Minion song?" Danny yelped.

"She likes the damn things," Steve shot back, watching as Kamekono grabbed his cellphone from the table and answered it. "She said they're so stupid, they're cute!"

"Of course," Danny groaned, before yelling.

Portland:

After three rings, someone answered, but it wasn't Steve.

"_Hey sistah, Kamekona here. How ya doin'?_" said a familiar, friendly voice.

"I'm doing good, Kame," Millie said. "You?"

"_Hangin' in there. You coming home soon?_"

"In about two more days, yes. Where's Steve?" Millie asked.

"_Ah, the love of your life is kinda busy right now_," Kamekono said.

"Explain," Millie said, ignoring the raised eyebrows from the men around her.

"_He and Danny are wrestling with a guy by the name of Konisiki_," Kamekono said.

"Okay," Millie said.

"_He's a sumo wrestler and he weighs about three hundred and twenty pounds. He sorta had a little too much to drink. Good thing he's a happy drunk_," Kamekono said. There was a crashing noise in the background and an angry yell from what sounded like Danny, followed by more yelling. "_Oops. Hang on a sec. Bit of a problem here._"

"Kamekono Tupuola, if you put this phone down and don't tell me what the blue blazes is going on down there, I swear you will have a problem with me when I get back, _bruthah_!" Millie threatened.

"_But I have to, sistah_," Kamekono said. "_Konisiki just fell backwards and Steve's trapped underneath him. Uh-oh_."

"Why uh-oh?" Millie asked.

"_I think he's passed out_."

"Steve or the sumo wrestler?"

" _Konisiki_," Kamekono said. "_Hope he don't fart; he's bare assed neeked_." A loud noise came over the phone, followed by several yells. "_Never mind; he just did._"

"Oh. My. God," Millie moaned, watching the men trying desperately hard not to laugh.

There was a clattering noise as Kamekono put the phone down and a bunch of other noises that suggested something was going on. Finally, Kamekono spoke again.

"_Steve and Danny are okay_," Kamekono said. "_Danny says he's gonna need a decontamination shower after this. And Steve thinks his ribs are going to hurt for the next week._"

"So are mine if I can't stop laughing," Millie admitted.

"_I hear ya, sistah, I hear ya. What do you want me to tell your boyfriend?_"

"Tell him there's a report heading his way from the Portland PD, courtesy of Detectives Burkardt and Griffin. I'm fine, and I'll talk to him later. Oh, and I expect to see the report involving Konisiki when I get back," Millie said. "In the mean time, I love him and I'll talk to him later. Oh, and if he's driving Blackbird, there's some ginger Gravol in the middle seat compartment."

"_I think they're gonna need it,_" Kamekono said. "_Catch you later, sistah_."

"You too, buddy," Millie said, hitting the off button. Then she stared at her phone and started laughing, which started everyone else laughing.

"Is that normal?" Griffin asked, when everyone finally stopped laughing long enough.

"Thankfully, no. But it doesn't surprise me in the slightest."

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought you said Steve McGarrett was your boss," Renard said, raising one eyebrow.

"He is. He's also my boyfriend," Millie said. "It's a long story, and a complicated one, but suffice to say, we make it work."

"As long as it works, that's what matters," Burkhardt said.

Later that night, there was a major Phelps Sunday dinner. Gabby and Gamps were there, along with Sean and his girlfriend, Tonya, and her toddler son, Dwayne. They were initially shy around Millie, but warmed up quickly.

It was a loud, cheerful gathering, with good-natured teasing and laughter, with plenty of food and non-alcoholic drinks. The gathering was meant to officially welcome Millie to the Phelps family, and get Tonya and Dwayne accustomed to the idea that people could be good.

Millie noticed Sean didn't go too far from Tonya, and Dwayne followed Sean everywhere.

Of the two brothers, Sean was slightly shorter than Drew, with a more slender build and dark hair, but he had an easy smile and was just as quick on the teasing as Drew was. He was also, according to Tonya, great with Dwayne. Millie was sure there was going to be another wedding in the future.

It had been an emotional rollercoaster for Millie over the last few days, and as she settled into one of the loungers in the yard, she found herself drifting off.

_She was on her favorite beach, back in Honolulu. The sun was warm against her bare shoulders and the sand was nice beneath her bare feet._

_She smiled. She could feel a light breeze blowing and the smell of hibiscus' caught her attention._

_"This place is incredible," a man said. She turned her head to look at him and smiled, recognizing him. He wasn't in uniform, rather, he was wearing cargo shorts and a Hawaiian print shirt, sunglasses tucked in the front of his shirt._

_"It is. This is one of my favorite places," Millie said._

_"I can see why." He smiled at her and reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, before placing his hand against her face. "You are so beautiful, sweetheart, and I am so proud of you. You've done real good for yourself."_

_She leaned her face into his hand, savoring the touch. "I wish I'd had the chance to know you."_

_"So do I, sweetheart, but that' s okay. The truth is out now, and you're with my family and you're happy and that's all I care about. I can rest now."_

_"I'll take you here, I promise."_

_"I'd like that." He nodded towards someone sitting in a familiar-looking beach chair. "He's a good man. I like him."_

_"Will you say hi to Hugh and Gram for me? Let them know I'm okay?"_

_He smiled. "I will. Love you, baby girl."_

_"Love you too, Daddy," she whispered._

Millie woke up with a start, to see Drew staring at her with a funny expression on his face.

"Sorry about that," she said. "Dozed off for a bit there. What's up?"

"Maybe it's my imagination, but I could have sworn I saw somebody standing beside you, looking down at you," Drew said. "Thought he looked like Uncle Keegan for a moment there."

"I saw him too," said Gamps, coming to join them. He sat down beside Millie and sighed tiredly. "I was too afraid to read his journal, because I knew it meant reading his last words. Maybe if I had done so, we would have found you sooner, and you wouldn't have gone through the heartache that you did. I am so sorry."

Millie reached over and held his hands in hers. "Listen to me. What's done is done. You were grieving, and I can understand that. The important thing is I'm here, and we know the truth now. That's all that matters. Janice will get what's coming to her, one way or another, but she and I are done."

Gamps nodded, and smiled up at his wife, Gabby, when she joined them.

"He's at peace now," she said. "I don't know how I know, I just know I do. I saw a physic just after Keegan died, and she said he couldn't rest because there was something that needed to be done and it was important, but none of us knew what it was. We were all too afraid to read his journal, but if we had done, if we'd known, Janice would have had a hell of a fight on her hands."

Millie smiled. "What's done is done. And you're right; I think he is at peace now. And so am I."

McGarrett place:

The sun was setting but Steve was in no hurry to go inside. Where he sat was a spot of fond memories. It was the place he and Millie had first made love, where he'd watched her go swimming in nothing but a strapless bra and itty bitty panties, where they had gone swimming together in the early hours of the morning, just because.

He missed her.

As he sat, he found himself drifting off.

_A man sat next to him, nursing a beer. The man wore cargo shorts and a Hawaiian print shirt, sunglasses tucked in the front. He looked familiar, but Steve couldn't quite place his profile._

_Then the man turned his head and smiled at him. And Steve recognized him._

_"Officer Phelps," he said._

_"Steve McGarrett," the man said, raising his beer. "I can see why Millie likes it here. I would too."_

_"She's happy here, even though she does threaten to tear her hair out once in a while."_

_Keegan chuckled. "Do you care about her?"_

_"I do, very much. I know what brought her here, and I know the heartache and the grief she's experienced, especially at the hands of her mother and her brother, but I'm glad she's here. I don't know what the future holds for us, but I'm going to make the best of things for as long as I can, I give you my word on that."_

_Keegan looked at him, and Steve got the feeling he was looking right into his soul._

_"I believe you," he finally said. "Take care of my daughter."_

_"And Janice?"_

_"Don't worry about her. She's about to get what's coming to her, I promise you that. Just promise me you'll take care of my daughter."_

_"You have my word, sir," Steve promised. "For as long as she'll let me be a part of her life, I'll take care of her and I'll love her for as long as I can."_

_Keegan nodded. "Now I know I can rest. Thank you."_

_Steve smiled and raised his beer in salute._

He woke up with a start, hearing a familiar chime on his cellphone. The sun had gone down and with it, the temperature. _What the heck?_

His phone was playing the _Mythbusters Theme Song,_ which meant Millie had just sent him a message. Picking up his phone, he glanced at the message.

_Hey. Hope your ribs are okay. Going to be heading out in a short bit with the bros to go visit Keegan's memorial. Why we're doing this at night, I have no idea, but both Drew and Sean insist on it. Probably because of the whole scare factor. Catch you later. Love you lots._

Steve sent back a message.

_Dozed off outside on the chair. Ribs are fine, but I had to burn my clothes, and Danny said he had to do the same. The guy reeked worse than anything I've ever smelled, even bodies decomposing in the sun or in a barrel of lye. It was that grim. Be careful in the cemetery; headstones are a bitch to fall over. Love you and miss you._

A moment later, he got a message back.

_:* I'll be home soon. Promise. We have a lot of catching up to do. TTYL_

_TTYL._

Now, he just had to figure out what the hell he'd just been dreaming about. It had been so real. Had he really spoken to Keegan Phelps and had he really promised to take care of Millie for as long as he could?

_Spirits and ghosts. I've been watching too much Ghost Hunters again, _he thought, heading inside. _Still..._


	50. Chapter 50

**Chapter 50**

"I'm Officer Millie Thompson, Officer Keegan Phelps daughter."

"I'm Dan Visscher. It's an honour to meet you," the red-haired man said, shaking her hand. On impulse, Millie had gone to the store where Keegan had been shot. She had just introduced herself to the store clerk, who, surprisingly enough, was still there, even after all those years, and was now the manager. "He saved my life that night, and I've never forgotten that." He glanced at the gold badge on her hip. "You're a cop, huh?"

"Not in the traditional sense," Millie admitted. "I'm the Administrative Assistant for the governor-backed Five-0 Taskforce, based in Honolulu. Occasionally I get called into the field, and my team decided I needed a badge and a title. The advantage is, I have considerable clout with the Honolulu PD when it comes to cases, especially when I'm acting on behalf of the team."

"Does the taskforce do good work?" Dan asked.

"We try to. We're able to bend the rules a bit, where others can't, and we've saved a lot of lives, stopped a lot of bad guys, and helped bring justice to those who need it," Millie said. "I'm proud of what we do."

"Then as long as what you're doing is good and right, and helps others, then that's all that matters," Dan said. He looked at her. "Yeah. You have his eyes, and you have his spirit."

Millie smiled at him. "I'm glad you're okay."

"Yeah, I was able to finish college. I thought about dropping out a few times, but then I remembered him and thought, no, I'm not going to waste his sacrifice just to drop out of college," Dan said.

"What did you study?"

"I have a major in History and I work at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry."

"Wow. Then why are you still here?"

"Keeping Officer Phelps' memory alive. Every time he came here, he always had a smile and a kind word, and if you were having a bad day, he'd listen and try and help you. I run an unofficial mentoring program through here, try to help kids the way he tried to help me."

"That's good of you."

They chatted for a bit more and Millie picked up a few favorite treats to keep her blood sugar up, before giving Dan a hug and promising to stay in touch.

As Millie exited the store, she noticed a muscular man with close-cut dark brown hair, in brown overalls, blue tank shirt, and battered steel-toe boots, leaning against a battered truck that was covered in mud and loaded with tools.

"Thought I recognized you," the man said. "So it is true. You are wearing a badge."

"Sam," she said in acknowledgement. "Yes, it is true. Sometimes I carry a gun, but I didn't think I needed it today. Am I wrong?"

He shook his head, approaching her. "No. I'm not here to cause problems."

"Good to know."

"You hear about Mom and Victor?"

"No, but considering what I heard when I was over there last time, I'm betting the wedding got called off," Millie said.

"And then some," Sam said. He looked at her. "You've filled out well. What happened to your arm and your knee?"

Millie studied him for a moment, then mentally shrugged. _What the heck._

"There's a coffee shop over there. Let me put this stuff in my car, and I'll buy you a cup and we'll talk, if you've got the time," she said.

He nodded. "I can do that."

After putting her treats in her car, and getting their coffee and sitting at a table, Millie took off her watch and let Sam see the scars.

"Those are pin scars. I also had a fractured ulna, a busted knee and ankle, not to mention a couple of cracked ribs, and too many bruises worth counting. I was not a pretty face for about a week."

"Damn. What the hell happened?" Sam asked, horrified.

So she told him about Don Moore and Donna. What he called Moore was not worth repeating.

"I'm still struggling with PTSD, but I'm getting better," she concluded.

"That's good. That's real good. Is it true you put Mom in jail overnight for slapping you?"

"I did," she said. She took off her badge and handed it to him, letting him examine it. "I was on an active case when she hit me in front of my team. Assaulting a peace officer carries a jail term of about a year. I dropped the charges in exchange for her leaving O'ahu on the next available flight."

"Yeah, I heard the screaming over that one," he said, chuckling. He sighed. "There's going to be a real nasty fall-out over Mom and Victor, and I know Peter's going to suffer as well. Might do him some good."

"You two don't get along?" Millie asked.

"He's a momma boy. Very concerned about image and money."

"And you?"

"I'm a contractor and a master carpenter. I work with my hands and I have my own company. All I care about is the quality of my work and the homes I build."

Millie tilted her head, studying him. He continued.

"Look, I know Mom and Peter made your life hell. I also know I'm just as much to blame because I ignored you. I was too busy doing my own thing to really care. I wasn't the brother you needed, and for that I'm sorry. I don't expect you to forgive me, but I am hoping we can at least try and be friends."

"What about Janice and Peter?"

He gave a short bark of laughter. "They made their bed. Let them lie in it."

Millie continued to study him. Finally, deciding to take a chance and accept his olive branch, she thumbed through her phone photos and brought up her favourite waterfall one, showing it to him.

He whistled. "That's beautiful. That's where you live?"

"No, that was taken at Haleakalā National Park. Went camping there with my boyfriend. It's a beautiful area. You can find plant species that are extinct anywhere else, except there."

"Wow."

"If you ever do decide to come my way, let me know, and I'll tidy up my spare bedroom, as long as you're not allergic to cats."

"I'm not allergic to them, and I can take 'em or leave 'em."

"How about a three-legged one?"

"Then he won't be pissing on my leg any time soon, won't he?"

Millie snorted with laughter. "No, but he may try and deball you, like he tried to do to Moore."

"My kind of kitty."

"I should warn you. O'ahu is growing, so if you do decide to stay, you would be welcome, but the locals, and the majority of the people on the island, want to protect the island, so construction takes on a whole new meaning down there."

"So you're saying they don't just build, they conserve and protect as well?"

"Yup, and for the long term, not just the short term. Plus, the Hawaiians have a culture that you can't help but respect, and if you don't, you will by the time they're through with you."

"Huh. Interesting to know."

"You single?"

"Regretfully, yes." Millie showed him a few photos of some of her single girlfriends, and his eyes went wide. "That settles it! Book me a seat! Now, what's with the ring on the chain on your neck?"

Later that night:

"How do you feel about that?" Steve asked, laying in bed. He had been reading when her call had come in, trying to unwind for the day.

"_Meh. Sam wasn't the one who caused me any real grief. He was just never really there_," Millie said. "_I get the strong impression he really doesn't care for the antics of Janice and Peter. I mean, master carpenter? You don't get that with money, you get that with long, hard hours, and usually a busted toe or finger_."

"That's true."

"_I also put in a call to Victor, asking him to leave Sam alone. From what he was telling me, Sam has no part in the whole Janice mess, and really didn't care who she was shacking up with_," Millie said. "_In fact, Victor admitted that not once had Sam ever asked him for any contract favorites, unlike Peter._"

"Will he leave Sam alone?"

"_Won't even touch him, except favorably. Said Sam was a decent guy. Too bad his mother wasn't_."

"Ouch."

"_How are you holding?_"

"Ribs are a bit better. Paperwork's a mile high. Didn't realize how spoiled we were getting with you around."

Millie laughed. "_Don't worry. When I get back, I'll help you guys get that straightened out. How's your case going?_"

"It's going. It's looking more and more like a multi-hit thing, with more than one finger in the pie."

"_So one person did this, one person did that, and someone else did something else, and looks like individual actions that could mean absolutely nothing but the end result is the same?_"

"Pretty much, yeah. Wish you were here; trying to untangle this thing is like trying to untangle a ball of yarn that one of the twins got into."

"_There's a secret to that, you know._"

"Yeah?"

"_Follow the string, and if you have to nip it once in a while to untangle it, do so, because you can always tie it back up later_."

He smiled. "Come home soon."

"_I will. And do you know what I'm going to do to you when we finally get time to ourselves?_" she asked, deliberately dropping her voice.

"Why don't you tell me?"

"_Let's start with the kisses. Lots and lots of long, slow kisses..._"

Steve realized his phone bill was going to be huge after that, but it was worth every penny.

Later:

"Why are you telling me this and not Steve?" Danny said as he wrote.

"_Because I want to surprise him, that's why_," Millie sent back via text. "_I'll be landing in about seven hours. How you handle that is your problem_."

"Oh, gee thanks."

"_Oh you're very welcome, especially since I've got a bottle of local-made wine with your name on it for you, plus I'm carrying a small mason jar full of Keegan's ashes_."

"So you're carrying around a dead body?"

"_A quarter of a dead body, if you want to get blunt about it, yes_."

"Wonderful. Why?"

"_Going to take out a wa'a kaulua and put him out in the water, so he can see the islands the way he wanted to_."

"A what?"

"_It's a double-hulled boat, traditionally used by the people as transport between the islands._"

"Oh, wait. I think I know what you're talking about. Kono had one, and lost it when she got caught in a storm."

"_I'm guessing that's a story for another time, right?_"

"Right."

"_Anyway, got to go. They're calling my flight. See you in seven hours and if you tell Steve, I swear I will put a joy buzzer in your chair when you're not expecting it_."

"You're mean."

"_Yeah. And? TTYL._"

Danny looked at Steve. "She'll be landing in seven hours and if I tell you, she'll put a joy buzzer in my chair."

Steve smirked. "You didn't tell me."

"I didn't tell you. You just happened to read over my shoulder. What are we going to do?"

"We have seven hours to come up with something."

"Does that include running, because I think that's what I'm going to have to do when she finds out that you know what you're not supposed to know."

"She's not going to hurt you."

"Really? Because I distinctly seem to recall you saying the exact same thing when I put that rubber snake in her chair. My hand hurt for an hour afterwards."

Steve chuckled. "You didn't tell me. I read it over your shoulder."

"Fine. That's my story and I'm sticking to it, but if she buzzes my chair, I'll be buzzing yours, but I'll add a nine volt battery to it."


	51. Chapter 51

**Chapter 51**

Millie was tired when she stepped off the plane gangway, carrying one more bag than she had taken with her when she left. She spotted Danny waiting for her and smiled.

"Hey!" she said, laughingly accepting his hug.

"Hey yourself," he said. He looked her over with a critical eye. She looked tired but more relaxed than the last time he'd seen her.

"You're looking better. More relaxed. Nice tat," he said.

She smiled. "Thanks. Bit of a reminder to myself."

"Yeah? Kinda cute. What's the reminder?" he asked as they made their way through the airport terminal.

"'Ohana means family, and family means no one gets forgotten or left behind," she said.

"Good reminder," Danny said. "What about the watch? It's not really your style."

"And you know what my style is how?" she teased.

"Sweet, demure, bit of Hawaiian, classy," Danny said. "Shall I continue?"

"Sure. Feed my ego, why don't you?" Millie said, laughing. "It's Keegan's watch. See that scratch?" she asked, showing him the watch face.

"Nasty. What happened?"

"Keegan had a habit of wearing the watch with the face on the underside of his wrist," Millie explained. "One night he was attacked by a stoner with a knife. The watch face caught the knife, basically saved his life. After that, until the day he died, he always wore the watch on the inside of his wrist. Said it was his lucky watch."

"Nice," Danny said. They arrived at his car. "Which bag has your dad?"

She held up a small black one. "You gonna get freaky on me?" she teased.

"No, I just do not want to be cleaning up body ash from my car if we get into an accident and your bag goes flying," Danny shot back, eyeing the bag suspiciously.

Millie grinned at him. "Tell you what; I'll keep this on my lap, okay? Besides, the other bag has something just as valuable." She set the first bag down and reached into the second bag, pulling out a bottle of home-made wine, which she handed to Danny, who whistled appreciatively, and then a framed shadow box with two medals and three photographs.

"That's Keegan," she explained. "Those are the two medals he was awarded posthumously. I was able to get in touch with the person who took the original pictures and we had a very interesting conversation." She smiled. "Had to help him get his jaw up off the ground when he saw me and realized who I was. Did an interview with a buddy from his paper and I gave Five-0 some nice publicity. The guy promised me he'd send me a copy when the story came out, which should be in the next day or so."

"Sweet. You know we're going to frame that, right?"

"No surprise there," she said, putting her bags in the car and getting in herself.

As Danny drove out of the airport and hit the highway, she filled him in on what had happened with her family.

"Your mother is a regular class act, isn't she?" Danny asked at one point.  
"Pfft. Not my problem anymore. Gonna be interesting if Sam decides to move down here." She stretched tiredly. "Where are we going?"

Danny smiled. "You're not the only one capable of surprises."

Soon, he pulled up to a gas station and handed her one of his old ties. "You need to blindfold yourself."  
Millie looked at the tie, looked at him, and said, "You're serious."

"Put it on or we're not going anywhere," Danny said, straight-faced.

Millie huffed. "Fine." She wrapped the tie around her eyes.

"And no cheating," Danny said, waving a hand in front of her eyes.

"You're not playing fair."

"I can't afford to with you!" he shot back. He waited until he was sure Millie couldn't see anything, then sent a quick text message to Steve.

_Five minutes_.

A moment later, he received a reply.

_Understood. We're ready here_.

Smirking, Danny put the car in gear and drove towards Millie's house. Once he got there, he parked.

"That stays on until I say so," Danny said firmly.

"Spoilsport," Millie grumbled good naturedly.

"Yeah, and?" he shot back, coming around to help her out, taking her bags (which weren't as heavy as they could have been), and leading her up the sidewalk to her house. Then, as per earlier arrangement, he led her to her own backyard and put her bags on her couch.

"Okay, now you can take it off," he said, watching his friends gather around.

"One question," she said, reaching up cautiously.

"Whazat?" Danny asked, enjoying her discomfort.

"Am I going to have a heart attack over this?" When Danny failed to answer, she growled, "Detective Daniel Williams, answer me, you jerk!" There was no answer, and she finally yanked off the tie.

"_Surprise!_" everyone yelled.

Millie shrieked in surprise and nearly collapsed, such was the shock.

Amid the laughter, she yelled indignantly at Danny, "You sonovabitch!"

Then she was being engulfed in Steve's arms and hugged tightly, and her indignation was quickly forgotten.

"Welcome home," he said, giving her a quick kiss, which would suffice until they were alone. "We've missed you."

"Oh, I've missed you too," she said, hugging him tightly. Then she was being hugged by everyone else and peppered with questions.

Lou fired up the barbecue and soon everyone was eating.

At one point Millie quietly slipped Grace her kitty care payment. Lunkhead's cone collar was off and the surgery scar seemed to be healing nicely. She wound up firing off a message to Drew shortly afterwards.

_I thought you said Lunkey might slow down a bit!_

_I did, yes,_ was the reply. _Not?_

_NOT!_

_Lol_

"So, what's the deal with Private Michael Bennett?" Millie asked Steve at one point.

"My contact got back to me. Private Bennett was listed as AWOL around the time he said in his journal. As for Sergeant First Class William Nilsson, his commanding officer, he was killed during an ambush about a year later," he replied.

"And the massacre?" Millie asked.

"Gave him everything I could, and the only thing he could find was a report from Nilsson about finding several North Korean guerrillas who were killed in the ensuing firefight," he said. "What was interesting to note was that the report said there were no casualties on his side."

"Firefight my ass," Millie grumbled. "What about this Sergeant Nilsson? What was his service record like?"

"Couple of complaints against him, especially during the latter part of World War II, for being overly trigger happy and use of excessive force, but nothing was ever proven, so nothing ever came of them. Same problem during the Korean War, but by the time he died, he was a Sergeant First Class, so no one really paid much attention to the complaints," Steve said.

"Lovely," Millie said.

"The guy even checked reports in the area at that time, and the only thing he could find was mention of a small village that had been hit by shelling," he continued.

"Great way to hide the bodies," Millie said.

"That's what my contact said," Steve said. "He's going to send me a copy of everything he found. I should be getting it in the next day or so. As soon as I know, you'll know."

"Good. That should make for some interesting reading," Millie said.

Later, after everyone had gone home, Steve and Millie caught up on a more personal level.

"I'll be okay," she promised him afterwards, cuddling with him on the bed. "I know who I am now. Janice and Peter, their voices will always be at the back of my mind, but they can't hurt me the way they used to, not anymore."

"Good. And Don Moore?"

"I'm apprehensive about dealing with him, but that's not going to stop me from facing him in court, which I will have to soon."

"And you won't face him alone, I promise."

"I believe you. How's Donna doing, do you know?"

"We set Tip Gilbert on her, and he promised us he would keep her safe, both in and out of court. We also assured Ellie they meant no harm, unless someone tried to go after Donna. I spoke to her recently and she assured me she was doing okay."

"Good. She's a good kid. Oh, something I should warn you about; I'm going to be dropping the Thompson surname and picking up Phelps instead. I've already started on the paperwork and I know what needs to be done over here."

"So you're going to be Millie Susan Phelps now, huh?"

"Yup."

"Well, you'll always be Nani to me," he said, holding her close.

Millie smiled, relaxing. She was home. She knew who she was, and she knew she was loved, both as a woman and as a family member, and for now, all was right in her world. Tomorrow would bring what tomorrow would bring.

The next morning, Steve left after breakfast and kisses. There were a few things he needed to take care of before heading for Headquarters, where Millie would catch up to him and the team in a bit.

She cut a striking figure in her cherry red Denver Hayes bra tank, boot-cut jeans, tan leather blazer, and black slip-on booties. On her hips were her badge and, surprisingly enough, her Glock. She had even gone as far as painting her nails Pineapples Have Peelings Too! by OPI from their Hawaii collection. On one shoulder was her black work bag, which carried the shadow box of her father, that she planned to put in her office as soon as she got up there.

Millie felt different. Better. Stronger. She wasn't going to hide herself anymore. She knew who she was, she had a proud heritage, and it was time she acted it.

"You're looking good, Radar," Duke said, smiling when he saw her.

She smiled back and gave him a hug across the shoulders, which he returned. "Thanks, Dukey. Good to see you again."

"You too, but I see someone who isn't happy to see you," he said, indicating an approaching Officer Prolux.

Millie groaned. "She never lets up, doesn't she?"

"Think dog and her bone. Want me to call Steve?"

Millie thought about that for a moment, then shook her head. "I'm not afraid of her."

"Good to know."

"What are you doing here?" Prolux snipped. "Shouldn't you be behind a desk, like the good little secretary you're supposed to be? And don't you need to have a license for that gun of yours?"

"Enough. You need to understand something, Officer Prolux," Millie said quietly but coldly. "I am fed up to the back teeth of people like you questioning my right to wear a badge or retain the rank of Officer. The rank, badge, and gun are mine, with both the rank and the badge given to me by Governor Denning himself, and endorsed and supported by Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett, who also happens to be my boss, and whom I have complete loyalty to. I am an officer, and I am Five-0."

"You're not one of us and you never will be!" Prolux snapped. "I don't care what you high and mighty losers think, but I don't have to take orders from you or any of your Five-0 bunch!"

"If your attitude is the kind of attitude I have to have to be one of you, then I'm damn glad I'm not one of you!" Millie shot back. "As for taking orders from me, or any of my Five-0 bunch, maybe you'd like to explain that to Governor Denning, the same way you had to explain your little investigation into me, even when there was no reason to, and you were told to back off." She got within inches of Prolux's face. "I really don't care what you think of me, but if I tell you to move your ass, then you'd better start jumping, or I'll kick it across the island and beyond. You don't scare me. Not anymore."

"Who do you think you are?" Prolux demanded.

Millie smiled.

"Who do I think I am?" Millie repeated. "I'll tell you who I am. My name is Officer Millie Thompson, soon to be Phelps, of the governor-backed Five-0 Taskforce. My father is Officer Keegan Phelps, a five-year Portland police veteran who was murdered in the line of duty, while protecting a teenage store clerk from a stoned robber. My dad is Detective Sergeant Mike Phelps, who is Officer Keegan Phelps' younger brother. I am the daughter of a cop, and my family comes from a long line of damn good cops. I am a member of one of the best damn taskforces on the island, and I am proud of who I am and what I do. I wonder, can you say the same?" Before Prolux could come up with a suitable answer, she said, "Now, if you'll excuse me, Officer, I have a job to do. Have a nice day."

And with that, Millie snapped around smartly on her heel and headed upstairs, ignoring the applause she could hear coming from behind her.

At the top of the stairs, waiting for her, was Chin, who was grinning at her.

"Nicely done," he said.

"Thanks. Think that'll cool the bitch down for a while. What's on the agenda for the day?" she asked as they walked.

"Other than a ton of paperwork for you, we have a case we could use your input in," he said.

"Show me the case and run me through it and I'll see what I can do," she promised. "How much yelling am I going to be doing?"

"Hopefully not a lot. I don't have any earplugs on me," he teased.

"Har har. I'll check the inventory supply, along with my coffee supply."

"Oh, Starbucks has a coffee you might like. Mocha flavored. I stuck some in the kitchen for you."

"Sounds good to me. Appreciate it." Before they entered the glass doors, she stopped Chin. "Tell me the truth. Did Danny prank my office again?"

"Not to my knowledge," he assured her. "If he did, I'm innocent." He failed to mention what Kono or Lou _might_ have done, because he was sure he saw the pair of them in her office this morning.

"Fine, because I don't trust that bugger as far as I can throw him."

Chin laughed. "Good to have you back, Kaikuahine," he said as they entered Headquarters.

"Same here, Kuaʻana," she said.

"You know what that means, right?"

"Hopefully Big Brother, considering there were several different words for the same blinking thing, all with different meanings!"

Chin chuckled. "Well, you got that one right, at least."

"Good. I didn't mangle it this time. Much." She headed for her office.

Chin spotted Kono and Lou. "Did you two do anything in her office?"

Kono smirked. "Nope. We're going to wait a few days, when she's not expecting anything, and then we'll get her."

"My supply of earplugs is low," he warned them.

"We'll get you some more," Lou said, shrugging. "Besides, things have been too quiet around here lately."

Chin just sighed heavily, a grin on his face, and headed for his office. Yup, things were about to get back to normal, _unfortunately! _


	52. Chapter 52

**Chapter 52**

It had been nearly two weeks since Millie returned home from her trip to Portland. Things had settled down again for Millie, but with it came a stronger sense of who she was and a stronger sense of pride.

Now they were dealing with a new case.

"I've got some I.D. from him," Dr. Mindy Shaw said, holding up the victim's wallet. "Meet Jeff Procinsky."

"He's not from around here," Steve said, studying the driver's license. "Got an address in New Orleans."

"The Big Easy, huh? Wonder what brought him here," Millie commented, tapping away with her stylus on her iPad, thanking the Powers That Be yet again for Jarod and Wifi.

_Here_ was a hot, narrow alley behind a dumpster behind a series of tourist trap stores that had seen better days. The victim had been found by a local homeless woman looking for bottles and anything she could sell. Hoping for a reward, she had let a police officer know about the body. Her reward had been twenty dollars and a quick pat-down to make sure she wasn't carrying any weapons or anything illegal.

"My preliminary findings are saying having his head bashed in was not part of his travel plans," Mindy quipped. "If it weren't for his wallet, I'd say a mugging gone wrong, but..."

"Bank cards are still there, but credit cards are missing, if he had any to begin with," Steve said, examining the alligator-skin wallet. "No cash. Robbery could have been the motive."

Mindy spotted something on the victim's fingers and under his nails. "I think I might know what else was. I'm seeing traces of some kind of putty under his nails and on his fingers. If I had to guess, I'd think someone tried to copy his fingerprints."

Steve knelt down beside her and examined the victim's fingers. "You could be right. But why?"

"I don't know the Why part, but I may have a partial answer to the What part," Millie said. "I ran Jeff Procinsky's name through the New Orleans PD and DMV and just got kicked a hit. He's got a minor drug record and is a suspect in a murder investigation, wanted for questioning by the New Orleans NCIS."

"When was the murder?" Mindy asked, carefully removing her liver probe and scowling at it.

"About three days ago. A young petty officer was strangled to death and dumped in a dumpster in a back alley. His prints were found in her room," Millie said, glancing through the report. "Why?"

"His liver is frozen solid. I can't get my probe into it," Mindy said. "The body's thawed enough for the blood to spill, but not enough for his internal organs to have thawed."

"And how long would it take to completely freeze a body?" Steve asked, straightening up and joining Millie to glance at her iPad.

"Two, maybe three days if it's just your average home freezer. Less if it's one of the industry types," Mindy said. "And with this stuff on his fingers? I'm not so sure that is his prints in the petty officer's room."

"And our mess just got bigger," Millie said, studying her iPad. "He's been flagged by the DEA. Don't know why, but wanna bet we're going to be getting a phone call?"

"Sounds like you have your hands full," Mindy said.

"So do you, girlfriend," Millie said. "Trying to deal with a frozen body? Isn't that like trying to carve a frozen turkey?"

"Thankfully, no. I get to wait until he thaws out to do the nitty gritty, but while I'm waiting for that, I can do the rest," Mindy said, gesturing at a nearby attendant.

As Steve and Millie moved away, he began giving her instructions.

"Okay, get in touch with the New Orleans NCIS, find out what you can about the murder investigation. Talk to the DEA, find out why they have Jeff Procinsky flagged. Shaw will likely run his prints through the system, just to make sure, so stay on top of that."

"Understood," Millie said, making a few notes on her iPad. "Do you want me to run his bank accounts and his credit cards, see if we can figure out what he was up to?"

"If you get the chance, please do."

"Will do," Millie said, heading for Blackbird. "See you back at HQ."

"Not yet," Danny said, joining them. "Do you know someone who calls himself Gunny?"

"About your height, very tanned skin, grey and white hair in a ponytail, scruffy but tidy, missing a leg below the knee, nasty old burn scar across the left side of his face, looks like he could punch your lights out without a second's hesitation?" Millie asked.

"To a T," Danny said. "And why am I not surprised? Who do you not know?"

"My contact list would scare you," Millie replied easily. "Anyway, what about Gunny?"

"He said he had something for you and asked you to stop by when you had a second to spare," Danny said.

"Who's Gunny?" Steve asked.

Millie put her iPad in her iPad Messenger bag and stripped off her gloves. Then she unzipped a flap and removed her small wallet, checking her cash supply, explaining as she did.

"Gunny is Gunnery Sergeant Wayne Hutchinson, an honourably discharged Marine who served all the way up to the Iraqi Spring Fighting of 2004, when his convoy was hit by an IED. Fought with alcohol and nightmares for a few years, now spends his time turning trash into treasure. I've picked up a few things from him from time to time. He's a bit of a flirt, but generally a good guy." Satisfied with the contents of her wallet, and with Danny and Steve following, she headed towards where Gunny usually was during the day. "The last time he had something for me, it was the identity of a girl who had been strangled, stripped, and dumped about a block from his spot. Before that, the detective in charge of the case had nothing."

"Nice," Danny said.

"How long have you known him?" Steve asked.

"Three years, give or take," Millie said. "Don't let his gruff manners fool you; he's still very much a Marine."

"Understood," Steve said.

They approached a man sitting under a battered beach umbrella, matching Danny's description. Beside him was a table with what Steve though were very interesting pieces of art and jewelry, all made from what one would consider junk or garbage.

"Hey, Gunny," Millie said, smiling warmly at the former Marine.

"Hey pretty lady, how you doing? You cut your hair," Gunny asked, smiling back and accepting her hug.

"Long hair is a bitch to care for when you've got a broken wrist and fractured arm," she shot back.

Gunny laughed. "I hear ya."

"As for everything else, I'm good. Working with Five-0 is never boring," she said.

"True that," Gunny said, having been told about her new job months ago.

"This is Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett, my boss, and I believe you've already spoken with Danny," Millie said. "Steve's a Navy SEAL."

"A Navy SEAL? Figures. Had to be somebody with balls big enough to go after Victor Heese and his numbskulls," Gunny said, shaking Steve's hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir," Steve said.

"You said you had something for me?" Millie asked, eyeing several hand-crafted spoon bracelets and a wall decoration she was sure would look great on her kitchen wall.

"Yeah, hearing there's a dead fellow in the alley way back there," Gunny said.

"There is. Name's Jeff Procinsky. Head was bashed in," Millie said. "I.D. says he's from the Big Easy."

Gunny snorted. "Try a little bit further north. He had a southern accent I once heard on one of my buddies who was from Alabama."

"Really? Could he have been a tourist or someone on the run?" Danny asked.

"I don't think so. If I had to guess, I'd say he was undercover. Always asking questions about the local movers and pushers, the kind of questions a guy checking out the business would ask," Gunny said. "Paid well for it too."

"His prints showed up in New Orleans, in the room of a murder victim, who happened to be a female petty officer," Millie said.

"No. Not likely. Too much respect," Gunny said. "Think he could've been or had family in the armed forces. Never said outright, but..."

"But the indication was there," Steve said.

"Yes, sir," Gunny said.

"That could explain why the DEA had him flagged," Millie said. "Wonder how many toes we're going to step on this time."

"As many as we have to," Steve said.

"With or without the steel toes?" Millie asked.

Steve threw a glance at Danny, who shrugged. "If you have to, don't step on them," Danny said.

"Okay," Millie said, waiting for the punchline.

"Stomp on them, or kick them in the ass, if you prefer," Steve finished up. "More fun that way."

Gunny gave a bark of laughter. "Spoken like a true SEAL," he said. He handed Millie a scrap of paper with numbers and letters written on it. "Think you might find this interesting."

Millie glanced at it. A license plate, time, and vehicle description had been written down. "I find it very interesting indeed. Much appreciated, Gunny. And while we're at it, I'm snagging a few things."  
And she did, leaving Gunny about fifty bucks richer than he was before. Danny and Steve did the same, twenty each.

"Thank you, sir. We really appreciate this," Steve said.

"You just keep on keeping my streets safe, and I'll keep on watching for you," Gunny said easily, accepting the cash.

As they walked away, Millie privately admitted she was worried about him.

"I've been watching the police reports lately, and the gang presence in this area has kicked up a notch. They've mostly been going after the homeless, claiming they're cleaning up the streets," she said. "Several people have died as a result, mostly ones who couldn't really defend themselves to begin with."

"And you're worried this gang may go after Gunny?" Danny asked.

"Yeah. I know he's a former Marine and all that, but he's missing a leg, and I'm worried he'll either kill someone, as per his training, or they'll get the jump on him and seriously hurt, or even kill, him," she said. "He won't come in. Says it's better for him where he is."

"Not much you can do," Steve admitted. "Make sure he has your number, and maybe flag him for HPD. That way, if there's a problem, they know to contact you."

"I can do that?" Millie asked. Both men nodded. "All right. First chance I get, I will."

They caught up with the rest of the team.

"Shopping on the job?" Kono teased.

"Ha. Try witness talking, who just happened to have a very unique talent for turning garbage into very interesting stuff," Danny shot back.

"The witness have anything interesting to say?" Lou asked.

"Try a time and plate of a vehicle that was in the area when it shouldn't have been," Millie said.

"Sweet," Chin said, grinning. "Which is more than what we've got. No one saw anything, no one heard anything."

"No surprise there. According to Shaw, our victim's been dead long enough for his liver to freeze solid," Steve said. "His name is Jeff Procinsky, New Orleans address. He's wanted for questioning in regards to a murder investigation by NCIS, and he was flagged by the DEA."

"Why?" Lou asked.

"Don't know yet, but as soon as I lace up my steel toes and stomp on a few toes, I'll find out," Millie said. "I'm also going to get in touch with the NCIS agent-in-charge in New Orleans and update them. If they're anything like L.A., we'll be getting a visit."

New Orleans NCIS Headquarters:

Supervisory Special Agent Dwayne "King" Pride glanced at his cellphone. It had begun ringing and did not show a local number.

"Pride," he said, answering the call.

"_Supervisory Special Agent Dwayne Pride?_" a female voice asked.

"Speaking," he said.

"_Agent Pride, my name is Officer Millie Phelps, Hawaii Five-0 Taskforce, O'ahu_," the woman said. "_According to what I understand, you are looking for a Jeff Procinsky, in relation to the murder of a petty officer?_"

"That's correct, yes," Pride said, switching his cellphone to speaker. He scribbled something down on a scrap of paper and handed it to Special Agent Meredith Brody. Senior Field Special Agent Chris LaSalle and new Special Agent Sonja Percy joined him, curious.

"_I'm afraid you're going to have a very hard time doing that_," Millie said. "_He was found a short time ago with his head apparently bashed in_."

"Why do you say apparently?" Pride asked.

"_Because our M.E. had a little trouble getting her probe into his frozen-solid liver, that's why_," Millie said.

Pride's eyebrows shot up. "That would do it," he said, watching Chris mouth, "_Wow_."

"_That it would. One other detail; preliminary examination found some sort of trace under his nails and on his finger. Looks like putty_."

"Putty? Someone copied his fingerprints?" Pride asked.

"_I don't know. Until Dr. Shaw completes her autopsy, I won't have any further information. However, if you don't mind, I would like to know the details of your murder investigation. I'm hoping I don't have to stomp on a few toes to get it. I've already had to do that with the DEA and I did not enjoy that_."

"Since you asked so nicely, I will gladly forward you what we have, on one condition," Pride said, glancing at the plasma, where Brody was throwing up information on the Taskforce. Officer Millie Phelps was a pretty lady with an interesting file.

"_I'm listening_."

"I would like to send two of my agents your way. I don't know how you guys work, but because I have a murdered petty officer on my hands and my suspect just turned up on your doorstep, I'd like to follow through with the investigation."

"_That's fine_," Millie said. "_Your agents are welcome to join us, but I'll tell you the same thing I told the DEA agent I spoke to_."

"And what's that?"

"_Five-0 has immunity and means, courtesy of the governor of Hawaii. That means we do things a bit differently. Work with us, we'll teach you a few things. Work against us, and I'll be showing you the tiger shark population up close and personal, after I make you bleed_," Millie said, dead serious.

Pride laughed. "Understood, ma'am. But what would your boss say about that?"

"_You mean Lieutenant Commander Stephen McGarrett? Given the stunts I've seen him pull, he'd probably be proud of me_."

"I see. One question; what does the DEA have to do with Jeff Procinsky?" Pride asked, watching his team nearly choke on their laughter.

"_When I ran him, he was flagged by them. Also, a witness remembers him asking a lot of questions about the movers and pushers in the area. I had to threaten to bring Governor Denning down on the agent I spoke to, to get the hepa to talk to me, failing stuffing a kona crab down the front of his pants_."

"Now why wouldn't he want to talk to a charming lady like you?" Pride asked, chuckling, while Chris and Brody muffled their snorts of laughter, and seeing Sonja mouth 'hepa' at him, confusion on her face.

Millie gave a bark of laughter. "_Thank you for the compliment. Five-0 isn't exactly popular with everyone and some DEA agents don't like us or the way we play_," she explained. "_We have a habit of crashing their par-taay. Good thing ATF likes us, but that's a story for another time_."

"Fair enough. What does hepa mean?"

"_It's Hawaiian for idiot. In the meantime, let me know when you're heading our way, and someone will meet you at the airport_," Millie said. "_A hui hou_." At that point, she ended the call.

"Tell me things. Who are we dealing with?" Pride asked.

"Officer Millie Phelps, Logistics Support, with the Five-0 Taskforce," Brody said, sending file photos to the plasma. "Her boss is Lieutenant Commander Stephen McGarrett, Navy SEAL reservist, and he has quite the impressive record. So does the rest of the team, which includes Detective Sergeant Daniel Williams, Detective Lieutenant Chin Ho Kelly, Officer Kono Kalakaua, Captain Lou Grover, who is a former SWAT, and Catherine Rollins, former Navy, who appears to be with them on a part-time basis. They answer directly to the Governor of Hawaii, and were formed by Governor Pat Jameson five years ago, in response to Hawaii having no state police. From what I'm seeing, they've done a lot of good. I'm wondering if they worked with Gibbs when Dabi was kidnapped."

"I can find out. What do you think of her?" Pride asked, referring to Millie Phelps.

"She's different," Brody said. "Her file says she's originally from Portland, Oregon, but she's clearly adapted to the Hawaiian culture, or at least picked up their language."

"She's sassy," Chris said. "SEALS can be a fun bunch to tangle with, and if her boss is a SEAL, she needs to be able to stand her ground."

"SWAT guys aren't much better," Sonja said. "The few captains I've encountered? Think bullheaded."

Pride chuckled. "All right. Chris, you and Brody are heading for O'ahu. Work with Five-0 and learn things from that end. Sonja and I will stay here and work things on this end. Let me know your itinerary and I'll forward it to Officer Phelps, along with what we have on Petty Officer Brimby's case."

"Bring me back a Hawaiian shirt," Sonja told Brody.

"Promise," Brody replied, grinning.


	53. Chapter 53

**Chapter 53**

"_Five-0?_" Supervisory Special Agent Jethro Gibbs repeated. "_Yeah, I've heard of them. They're a good bunch. McGarrett is a typical SEAL and he has a bit of a weird relationship with Williams, but they helped me save Dabi, and she's kept in touch with them_."

"What about Officer Millie Phelps?" Pride asked.

"_Never heard of her_."

"File says she joined the team about six, almost seven months ago."

"_Then I definitely don't know her. Dabi was taken there in late two-oh-thirteen. Why?_"

"Our suspect in a murder investigation just turned up dead in Honolulu, and preliminaries are saying he was dead when the murder occurred. Five-0 is investigating and offered to let us join the investigation."

"_Ah. Yeah, they're a good bunch. Dabi says some of the letters they've sent her tell her they're a bit of an oddball group, but they're good,_" Gibbs said. He gave a soft grunt. "_Hey sweetie_," he said softly.

"Excuse me?" Pride asked, hearing a baby squeal in the background.

"_Sara's starting to walk, and my pant legs just got used by her to pull herself up,_" Gibbs explained. "_Owen and Mary have their hands full, along with Dabi._"

"I hear ya, brother, I hear ya," Pride chuckled. "Thanks. I appreciate the low-down."

"_Not a problem_."

"Give Dabi a hug for me and I'll catch you on the fly."

"_Will do_," Gibbs said, ending the call.

Five-0 Headquarters:

"All right, I was able to get in touch with the DEA with regards to our victim," Millie began. The team was gathered around the computer table, getting a progress report from Millie. "I had to get nasty with Agent Chase Pickerson to get him to even admit that Procinsky was one of theirs."

"How nasty are we talking about here?" Lou asked.

"I threatened to stuff a kona crab down his pants first chance I got. Baring that, I threatened to set Denning on him," Millie said. She shrugged, seeing the grins on their faces. "It worked. Seems some members of the ATF don't care for our, quote, cowboy methods. Whatever. Anyway, Pickerson did admit Procinsky was an undercover agent who's home base was in New Orleans. However, he was born and raised in Enterprise, Alabama (yes, that place does exist) before joining the EPD and eventually winding up with the DEA. Oh, and his name isn't Jeff Procinsky; it's Bruce Wilson."

"So why was he here?" Steve asked.

"He was supposed to be investigating a possible drug pipeline. Rumours were new, so the investigation was still fairly fresh, but his last check in, which was five days ago, said there was something else going on, and he was going to look into it," Millie said.

"Five days ago?" Chin repeated. "And nobody said anything?"

"Seems Wilson had a habit of going off the grid for days at a time," Millie said. "I'm expecting his file, but I'm not hoping for much, which means you guys may have to crack a few heads. If it's Pickerson's, so the more better."

"Sounds like fun. What about the murder investigation in New Orleans?" Steve asked.

"I spoke to Special Agent Dwayne Pride and he's sending two agents our way. Flight time says about nine hours," Millie said.

"Didn't Dabi once mention she spent several days in New Orleans with an Agent Pride?" Danny asked Steve.

"Yeah, yeah I think she did," Steve said.

"Who's Dabi?" Lou asked.

"Dabi Moore-Gibbs. She's the daughter of NCIS Agent Jethro Gibbs, from Washington, D.C., who landed on our island after being kidnapped by a weapons dealer he and the L.A. branch had been chasing after," Chin explained. "She's a good kid."

"Took over her grandparents bakery a little while ago and seems to be doing good," Danny said.

"Getting back on track," Millie said, pulling up a file and photos. "Wilson's prints were found at the apartment of Petty Officer Michele Brimby, who was found raped and strangled to death in the French Quarter. According to Dr. Loretta Wade, Medical Examiner of Jefferson Parish, Brimby was strangled with coir rope, otherwise known as coconut fibre rope."

"Coir rope burns are nasty," Kono admitted.

"Any DNA?" Danny asked.

Millie shook her head. "Dr. Wade found traces of condom lubricant. To add insult to injury, Brimby was found in a dumpster, stripped, bound, and gagged with Gorilla Tape, and her head shaved."

"So she wasn't just raped, she was humiliated," Lou said darkly.

"Could it have been a message?" Chin asked.

"NCIS doesn't know," Millie said. "There's no evidence to suggest neither she nor Wilson even knew each other or even crossed paths anywhere. The only thing they could find was a series of emails to and from someone named Boo. According to their tech specialist, the IP address bounced all over the place. The last email was sent six days ago and the account has since been disabled."

"What did the emails say?" Kono asked.

"They were a series of numbers NCIS figures is a code of some kind, but they haven't been able to crack it and don't know if it's relevant to her murder," Millie replied.

"Family?" Steve asked.

"Parents are in Louisiana. Agent Pride's notes said he spoke to them and was told Brimby was very much a sailor with stars in her eyes, hoping to head for JAG," Millie said. "She was generally a good kid."

"Did her parents know about the emails?" Danny asked.

"They claimed they didn't, but Pride got the feeling they knew more than they were letting on. Nothing he could prove, though."

"If Wilson is with the DEA, why wasn't NCIS notified when they ran his prints?" Chin asked.

"I have no idea," Millie admitted. "The only thing I can think of is that someone goofed. They had his name flagged, but not his prints."

"So when NCIS ran his prints, it kicked back his undercover backstop but didn't alert the DEA? But when we ran him through the DMV, it did? That is a very serious goof," Steve said. "Any word from Mindy?"

"Not yet, but then again, a frozen body does take time to thaw," Millie admitted.

"Have you had a chance to run his credit cards and bank account?" Lou asked.

"I've got them, but I haven't run the credit cards," Millie admitted. "Haven't had the chance, I'm afraid. I did run his account and did manage to find a damage deposit and three monthly payments to a rental corporation. Had to do a little ball busting, but I got an address." She pulled a map up on the main screen. "Also, got a hit on his vehicle. It's in the HPD impound lot, where it's been for the last three days, since it got towed. I asked the guys to forward me the report, which should include where it was towed from. Plus, I set CSU on it. We should be hearing from them soon."

"Nice work," Steve said, meaning it.

"Thank you. If Wilson had a cellphone, I can't find it so far," Millie admitted. "Or I'm going about it the wrong way."

"I'll help you with that," Kono offered. "I've learned a few tricks over the years."

"And I'll tackle the credit cards," Chin offered.

"Lou, hit the impound lot, see what CSU has to say," Steve said.

"Got it," Lou said.

"Danny, you and I are going to hit Wilson's place," Steve said, memorizing the address.

"Do I have your permission to have a little fun with Agent Pickerson if he shows up?" Millie asked.

"Depends on your version of fun," Steve said. When he saw the nasty grin slide across his girlfriend's face, he smiled back. "Let Maintenance know you're going to need a mop and a bottle of bleach. Otherwise, don't break anything that I have to explain to the governor."

"Fair enough," Millie said, grinning.

"You two have been spending way, way too much time together," Danny said.

Millie and Steve glanced at each other and both shrugged.

"Yeah. And?" Millie asked.

Chin just shook his head and laughed. "Now I'm actually afraid for Agent Pickerson."

Millie smiled widely. "Be afraid. Be very afraid."

At Wilson's apartment Steve and Danny tore the place apart. It was a bland apartment, with bland furniture and very few personal details. In the bedroom, hidden in the box spring, they found a safe box that matched a key that had been on Wilson's key ring. Inside the box was all of Wilson's original identification, including his driver's license and DEA badge, and a photograph of a much younger Wilson and, oddly enough, a teenage Petty Officer Brimby. Brimby was on Wilson's back, piggyback-style, and both were laughing.

"They're just kids in this," Danny said.

"Pride needs to talk to Petty Officer Brimby's family again," Steve said. "They know who Wilson is."

"If they knew the nature of his job, they would have denied knowing him to protect him and themselves," Steve said. "If there's a personal connection between Brimby and Wilson, someone may have learned about it and killed Wilson, then gone after Brimby, making it look like Wilson had killed her."

"Which begs the question why. DEA said his investigation was in the beginning stages. Even Gunny said he was asking a lot of questions about who the players were, so if he'd only just started, why was he killed?" Danny asked.

"I don't know. What's this?" Steve asked, picking up a small leather police notebook that was also in the box. Flipping it open, they discovered pages of neat handwriting. "This looks like shorthand of some kind," Steve said. "Millie might recognize some of it; I've seen her use this symbol a few times."

"The one with the C and the line above it? Yeah, so have I," Danny said. "What does it mean?"

"With. If it's an S with a line above it, it means without," Steve explained. "These numbers look like twenty-four hour times." He spotted one that had his brow furrowing. "C slash four question mark?"

"C-4? Did this guy find something to do with explosives?" Danny asked. "Because if he did, then this changes things completely."

"We need to get this notebook to Millie," Steve said. "Speak of the devil," he mutters as his cellphone gave a familiar ringtone chirp. "Oh good. She traced the van Gunny witnessed and we've got a name and an address."

"I love that woman," Danny quipped.

Steve chuckled, echoing the sentiment. "Get in line," he said, sending a reply, advising her of the notebook and the photo. He received an acknowledgment a moment later. "Let's go find this guy."

What they found was a van that reeked of bleach. The owner was a skinny man with thinning red hair who tried to run when he saw them.

He didn't get very far, and wound up eating mulch as a result.

"Where do you think you're going, huh, Charlie boy?" Danny huffed as he yanked the squirming man's hands behind his back.

"I don't know where he thinks he's going, but I know where he is going," Steve said, smirking. A breeze picked up and a spicy scent caught his attention. Curious, he followed it, then realized it was coming from a rose bush of bi-colored red and white roses. In fact, Charlie's garden had a wide variety of beautiful roses, all carefully tended to.

"What are these, Charlie?" Steve asked, taking a sniff at an open bloom. Yup, that was where the scent was coming from.

"Those are called Scentimentals," Charlie said.

"They're pretty," Steve said.

"Thanks. I work at a nursery and I like growing roses as a hobby," Charlie admitted. He jerked his head at some purple striped roses. "If you like the smell of those, check out those purple ones. They're called Purple Tiger."

"These are really nice. What about the orange ones?" Steve asked, doing just that.

"Those are called Voodoo. They have a real sweet, fruity scent. My neighbours love 'em," Charlie said.

"I've got a girlfriend who would love them too," Steve said. "She's trying to grow Aloha Hawaii roses, and I think she said she has Volcano roses."

"Those are real nice ones. If she wants to try something that is a real winner, tell her to try those pink ones. They're called Miss All-American Beauty, and for good reason," Charlie said. "They once won a prize with the All-American Rose Society. And then there's the white ones over there. Those are called Garden Party roses and they have a scent women just go crazy over." He seemed eager to please and Steve glanced at Danny, a slow smile on his face.

"Tell you what, Charlie. I made a major goof with my girlfriend a few days ago. If you let me snitch a few roses and answer a few questions, we might go a little easy on you," Steve said.

Charlie worried his lip, then nodded. "Okay."

"Why did you run? And why does your van smell like bleach?" Steve asked, picking up a pair of clippers he spotted on a nearby work bench.

"Couple of buddies of mine borrowed my van recently and when they gave it back, it smelled real weird. I found blood on the floor and when I confronted them about it, Ronnie, he told me they'd gone pig hunting and made a kill," Charlie admitted. "He also said he thinks they trespassed on Kapu land and warned me to keep an eye out for trouble. Said there were some cops who were supposedly on the take with the Kapu and I could get hurt real bad if they got their hands on me. I didn't like the smell, so I cleaned it out with bleach."

"Well, you won't get hurt by the Kapu, because it wasn't a pig that was in the van; it was a very dead guy," Danny said, watching as Steve clipped a rose from each type of rose bush. "And that makes you an accessory to murder."

"Murder! But I didn't kill nobody!" Charlie yelped in protest.

"Really? And why should we believe you?" Danny asked. "After all, you did cover up evidence of said body being moved."

"I swear! I didn't kill anyone! I'm not even that strong! And blood makes me gag!" Charlie protested. "That's why I bleached the van; to get rid of the smell!"

"Ever seen this guy before?" Steve asked, coming over to him and holding up his cellphone, which showed a picture of Wilson.

"Think so. Think I saw him with Ronnie a time or two," Charlie admitted. "He's the dead guy?"

"Bright boy," Danny said. "He was an undercover DEA agent."

"Oh boy oh boy oh boy," Charlie mumbled, going pale.

"Oh boy is right," Danny said.

"Where can we find Ronnie and his buddies?" Steve asked.

"They like to hang at this bar called Legends Sports Pub, over on Nahua Street. It's at the Aqua Waikiki Pearl Hotel, I think," Charlie admitted. "It's a nice pub, but the guys get a bit rough when there's a game on, which usually is. I've got his number, if you want."

"We want," Danny said, leading him inside his house. "We also want your van."

Charlie sighed heavily. "Fine. I guess. Keep it. I was gonna sell it and buy a truck, anyway, because my boss was talking about letting me come on some of the landscaping jobs. Now I really don't want to go near that thing anymore."

"You might want to consider ditching your so-called friends, as well," Danny said.

Charlie nodded glumly.

After setting CSU on the van and releasing Charlie on the condition that he not leave town any time soon, they headed back to Headquarters.

"What did you do that got you in trouble with Millie?" Danny asked as they drove through Honolulu.

"That little shoot-out a few days ago," Steve reminded him. They had been on a stake-out with Millie's Jeep, and the suspect had made them and started shooting. Thankfully, no one was seriously hurt, other than the suspect taking a round to his leg, but Blackbird had sustained damaged. "She wasn't too happy about the windshield and the body damage."

"Oh. That. Of course. So are the roses a suck-up or an apology?" Danny asked, grinning.

"Bit of both," Steve admitted, smirking. "That and she likes roses."

He later decided he liked the kiss she gave him when he gave her the roses.


	54. Chapter 54

**Chapter 54**

"Got word from New Orleans; Pride said Special Agents Chris LaSalle and Meredith Brody will be joining us in several hours," Millie said. "I have their photos and their itinerary, so I'll make sure they get picked up."

"Good," Steve said. "Get in touch with Pride again, and send him a copy of this. Advise him to talk to Petty Officer Brimby's family again," he said, handing her the bagged photograph.

"Understood. Where did you find this?" Millie asked.

"In a safe box under Wilson's bed," Steve said. "Along with this. Take a look at it and tell me what you think," he said, handing her Wilson's notebook. "It looks like short-hand of some kind."

"It's short-hand, all right, and I do recognize a fair number of the symbols and abbreviations, but it's going to take me a bit to translate," Millie said, flipping through the notebook. "What I can tell you, though, is this is the same kind of short-hand a lot of cops use, and it looks like we're talking about three months worth of notes here."

"Just do what you can," Steve said.

"Always. I also got in touch with Jerry; had to do a little bribing and coaxing, but he agreed to go over the e-mails and see if he could crack the code," Millie said.

"Good," Danny said. "How much did that set you back?" he asked, grinning.

Millie rolled her eyes. "The use of my hot tub for an hour. There are times I wish I could unsee something."

"You and me both," Lou said, eyes wide.

"How did it go with the credit cards and phones?" Steve asked.

"Wilson was spending quite a fair bit of time at a bar on Ala Wai Boulvard. It's called Shane's Bar and Grill and it does not have a good rep," Chin said, pulling up a location on the main screen.

"The dark and seedy, attract the wrong kind of characters rep?" Danny asked.

"Exactly. Cops are there at least once every other week," Chin said.

"Good place for making the wrong kind of deals," Steve said. "You and Kono check it out, see what you can find out."

"Got it," Chin said.

"Phone records?" Steve asked.

"He had two cellphones, one under his undercover name and one under his real name," Kono said. She pulled up a list of numbers and highlighted two of them. "This one belongs to Mae Roszell; it looks like he was talking to her fairly frequently. She's been trying to reach him for about the last four days and has left several voicemail message, asking him if everything was okay." She pulled up a DMV photo of a pretty woman with reddish blonde hair. "Clean record. No known ties to anyone."

"Girlfriend?" Lou asked.

"Kind of risky if you're an undercover," Lou said.

"Very," Chin said.

"And the second number?" Steve asked.

"Turns out it's Agent Pickerson's private cellphone number," Millie said. "The last call was made five days ago. Lasted about six minutes."

"And Pickerson said nothing?" Danny asked.

Millie shook her head. "A six minute call is more than just a check in," she said. "I tried to find out more, but the asshat clamed up on me. I told him to show up tomorrow morning with answers or I was going to go hunting and it would not be fun if I had to. He didn't confirm or deny whether or not he was going to."

"What about CSU?" Steve asked.

"Truck was empty. Nothing in the glove compartment or under the seats," Lou said. "Did find blood spatter on the driver side though, where the window is. Someone tried to wipe it down but didn't get it all. CSU says it looks like someone shot the driver from the passenger side."

"So shoot him, freeze him, make it look like he's in New Orleans, come back, thaw him out long enough to bash his head in, then dump him," Steve said.

"Looks like it," Lou said.

"Why?" Danny asked.

"Frame up?" Millie asked.

"I do know one thing; his credit card was used to purchase an airline ticket to New Orleans four days ago," Chin said. "I contacted the airline and they sent me their security video for around that time." He pulled up a video still. "Whoever that is, that is not Bruce Wilson."

The person in question had dark hair and wore glasses.

"Facial rec?" Steve asked.

"Running, but so far, no luck," Chin said.

"Okay. Danny, you and I will head for the Legends Sports Pub, see if we can find Ronnie and his buddies," Steve said.

"If he's not there, I know where he lives," Millie said, pulling up a DMV photo and a file. "Meet Ronnie Culbert. Be warned; he's been in plenty of trouble, usually with cops. Alcohol tends to be a major factor, and from what the arresting officers told me, the Second Amendment tends to be part of his rants and raves and causes of fist flyings."

"Duly warned. We'll play nice," Steve said, smirking.

"Why are you smiling like that?" Danny asked.

"Smiling like what? Am I not allowed to smile?" Steve asked. "What's the matter with the way I'm smiling?"

"Because whenever you smile like that, it means we are going to get shot at or involved in a fight because you are going to deliberately push somebody's buttons!" Danny shot back.

"I won't do that this time, I promise," Steve said. "We'll go there, find Ronnie, and we'll talk."

"You'll behave?" Danny asked suspiciously.

"I'll behave," Steve promised.

"Scout honor?"

Steve glared at him. "I'll behave, as long as they don't start the fight. You coming or what?"

"Why doesn't that comfort me?" Danny grumbled, ignoring the snickers and grins from everyone else.

_Honolulu International Airport, later:_

Special Agents Chris LaSalle and Meri Brody disembarked from the plane and grabbed their gear. A message on Brody's cellphone from Pride told them someone would be waiting for them outside the main front entrance.

"We're supposed to meet someone out here, but who?" Chris asked, putting his sunglasses on as they exited the building.

A sharp whistle caught their ears, and they looked around.

It came from an attractive brunette leaning against a black four-door Jeep. Thanks to the files, they recognized her as Officer Millie Phelps. Wearing a tan skort, green Hawaiian print sleeveless shirt, dark brown Mocs, sunglasses perched on her nose, short brown hair held back by a floral-printed headband, she looked right at home in the tropical climate. A gold badge gleamed on her right hip, and they spotted a gun beside it. She waved at them and they came over to her.

"NCIS?" she asked.

"We are. I'm Special Agent Chris LaSalle and this is Special Agent Meri Brody," Chris said, accepting her handshake. She did the same with Meri.

"Welcome to Hawaii. I'm Officer Millie Phelps. We'll catch up to the rest of the team in a short bit. Throw your gear in the back."

"Thanks, and thanks for letting us in on this," Chris said as he and Brody did just that.

"Not the first time we've worked with NCIS," Millie said.

"What does ohana mean?" Brody asked, mangling the word, noticing Millie's tattoo.

"'Ohana," Millie corrected. "Drop the H. And it means _family_ in Hawaiian. It's a reminder of a lesson I had to learn." She waited until the agents were buckled in before doing the same, turning on Blackbird, and pulling into traffic, pulling her sunglasses on before she did.

As she made her way through the airport to the Queen Liliuokalani Freeway, she gave them a hard copy of the case, and brought them up to speed.

"I was able to translate most of his notebook. It looks like he definitely spotted someone dealing with military-grade explosives," she said. "He wanted to be sure about what he was seeing and hearing before he brought anyone else in, like the FBI."

"What's his connection to Petty Officer Brimby?" Brody asked.

"He was her step-brother," Millie said. "Pride got in touch with her family again, after Steve and Danny found a picture of them together in their younger days, and they confirmed that Wilson and Brimby were step-siblings. From what he was able to gather, they were particularly close, and she referred to him as Boo, because when she was younger, she had trouble saying his name, Bruce."

"Those e-mails were signed by Boo," Chris realized.

"And we think that was Bruce Wilson," Millie said. "He may have been letting her know what was going on in what he thought was the safest way possible."

"Have you been able to crack the code?" Brody asked

"We've got someone on it right now. He's a bit of a conspiracy theorist nut, but he's a good guy, and he knows his way around codes," Millie said.

Her cellphone rang; a glance at the caller i.d. said it was Steve, but knowing Steve and Danny, it was probably both of them.

"Answer," she told the cellphone. The phone beeped as it did. "Go ahead, guys," Millie said.

"_Are you near Salt Lake Boulevard, by any chance?_" Danny asked.

Millie glanced at the GPS map, and said, "Might be a bit tricky. I'm just about on the Queen Liliuokalani Freeway, and I was going to head east, towards HQ. However, if need be, I can be there in five minutes, give or take, baring traffic. Problem?"

"_Please tell me all those driving lessons with Steve have sunk in,_" Danny said. "_We're chasing a green Mustang car whose owner doesn't know the meaning of stop or slow down and could use the back-up!_"

Millie flipped a switch on her dashboard that activated Blackbird's emergency lights and increased the pressure on the gas. "On my way. I've got NCIS with me."

"_Hope they're armed. This bonehead isn't playing fair,_" Danny said.

"_Millie, go east and get to Camp Catlin Road_," Steve instructed. "_Go north from there._"

"East or west once I'm there?" she asked tightly, executing a sharp drifting turn onto Camp Catlin Road.

"_West!_" Steve shot back.

"Understood. See you soon. Off," she said, resisting the temptation to make a smart remark. She heard the familiar clacking noise of gun slides being racked and clips being checked. She didn't dare spare a glance at the agents. "Chris, check and load mine, please."

"Sure thing," he said. As he removed her weapon and checked it, he noticed her grip on her steering while had gone white-knuckled. "You haven't done this before, have you?" he asked.

"I've had lessons, but no, not quite like this," she admitted tightly. "My apologies in advance."

"That's okay. You're doing just fine. Just trust yourself and your vehicle," Chris soothed, putting her gun back in its place but leaving the safety strap off. "It's a good Jeep. Who taught you?"

"Two HPD officer team members taught me the basics and Steve and Danny taught me a few tricks," Millie said. "They're driving a black Camaro that Steve has a habit of drifting around corners."

"That's always fun," Chris said.

Thankfully, traffic was light at that time of evening, and everyone got out of Millie's way as she barrelled and wove her way through traffic. She was on Salt Lake Boulevard in no time and quickly spotted a green 1967 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 heading straight towards her, a familiar black Camero right behind it, lights flashing. Executing a sharp slide that turned the Jeep sideways, she blocked the lane and the oncoming Mustang, which quickly slid to a stop.

Both Brody and Chris had their guns out and aimed at the car.

"Freeze! NCIS!" Chris yelled, seeing Steve and Danny pour out of the car, weapons also out. The driver, a heavy-set man with a long beard, got out of the car and tried to make a run for it. A second passenger, also with a long beard and tattoos, also got out and tried to run. Chris and Brody went after the passenger, Steve and Danny went after the driver.

It was Chris who got in a chin-scraping tackle that nearly bounced his man's head off the asphalt. When he tried to fight, he suddenly found himself being dog-piled by Brody and Millie. He stopped fighting when he felt Millie's gun against the back of his head.

"Keep still or I swear I'll put a bullet in what little brain you have!" she barked.

"Please tell me someone has cuffs," Chris said.

"Can you control him long enough?" Millie asked.

The man yelped when Brody applied pressure to a pressure point on his wrist; she grinned in satisfaction.

"I'll take that as a yes," Millie said, dashing to Blackbird.

She came back a minute later, carrying heavy-duty tactical zip cuffs, one of which she gave to Chris, who used it to secure their bad boy, before going over to Steve and Danny, who were still fighting with their suspect. Millie put a stop to that the same way she had with the other guy.

Unfortunately, that didn't stop him from squirming once her gun was removed and he was cuffed.

"Quit fighting or I'll hog-tie you, dumbass!" she snapped.

"You got the gear for that?" Steve asked.

She held up a second zip cuff and a heavy -duty zip tie. "You know me better than that," she said.

Steve huffed a laugh. "Yeah, I do," he said, helping the man sit up. He had a scraped, bleeding nose and was not looking too happy with life.

"Why am I not surprised?" Danny asked. "Starting to think you've got everything shy of a fridge in that thing of yours."

"Not quite, but I do have a folding cooler bag buried in there somewhere," Millie said easily.

"Of course," Danny said, rolling his eyes.

"Bring this hepa over to Blackbird," Millie said. "I'll get his nose cleaned up while you fill us in on the dets. By the way, meet Special Agent Chris LaSalle and Meri Brody. Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett and Detective Sergeant Danny Williams." They had brought their sullen prisoner over to Blackbird and he had a bleeding chin.

"A pleasure," Chris said, shaking their hands. Brody did the same. "Heck of a welcome to Hawaii."

"You haven't seen nothing yet," Danny said, grinning appreciatively at Brody, who smiled back. Steve just rolled his eyes.

"What's with these turkeys?" Brody asked, watching as Millie snapped on a pair of latex gloves and broke open her First Aid Kit. She was beginning to realize Millie's Jeep was very well stocked with just about everything.

"Meet Ronnie Culbert," Steve said, indicating the man with the bleeding chin. "Don't know who the other guy is, but I'm willing to bet they're together, considering they were both stupid enough to run." He watched as two HPD cars pulled up in response to a call Danny had made, asking for assistance. Officers got out and he gestured at them to join their group.

Millie glanced up at them as she got out her First Aid kit, and smiled, recognizing one of them. "Hey Harrison. Haven't seen you around for a while. You good?"

Harrison, a short, stocky man with black hair, smiled at her. "Hey yourself, Radar. I'm good. Working on getting my detective's badge. You?"

"That's real good. As for me, I'm chasing after these guys. You ever get around to asking that pretty red head out?"

Harrison blushed. "Yeah, I did."

"About time! I was getting tired of watching you catch fire every time she even looked at you!" Millie shot back.

Chris patted the second man down and found a wallet. "Aaron MacIntyre," he said. "Got an address somewhere over on Ka-what Street?" he said, trying to read the address on the man's driver's license.

"Kaumualii," Steve said, glancing over Chris's shoulder.

"And here I had trouble pronouncing some of the streets in New Orleans," Brody quipped.

"That's because some of the street names are French or Spanish Creole," Chris explained.

"You two ever gonna shut up and read us our rights?" Ronnie growled, wincing as Millie cleaned his chin as best as she could, given the fullness of his beard.

"Oh we will. Eventually," Danny said.

"Then we're not sayin' another word," Aaron said.

"Little thing called the right to remain silent," Ronnie taunted.

"Fine," Steve said. "But we're impounding your car and you're being arrested for evading and resisting arrest."

"You can't take my car!" Ronnie yelled angrily. "You have no right!"

"Actually, they have every right," Chris said. "You ran. We take. Simple as that. And I gotta admit; that's one sweet little ride you got there. Wonder how much it'll go for during the annual police auction?"

"It's a Shelby GT500 Mustang, a vintage one, and looks like it's in pretty good shape," the second officer said. "Those can net a sweet forty-five grand, easy."

Both Chris and Danny whistled appreciatively.

"We also found blood in a van that was used to transport Jeff Procinsky's body, a van that was last used by you guys," Steve said. "Your prints were all over the steering wheel."

"Who?" Ronnie asked, playing dumb.

"Cute," Brody said. She reached for the file and held up the photograph of Wilson. "This guy. Frozen solid, head bashed in, made to look like he murdered a petty officer in New Orleans. One big problem; he was an undercover DEA agent."

Ronnie smiled coldly. "I'm not saying another word."

But Aaron had different ideas. He leered at Millie as she cleaned his nose with a sterile gauze pad, trying to see down the front of her shirt. "You're cute. Once our lawyer cuts us free, we could always go somewhere and have a little fun."

Millie glanced up at Brody and raised an eyebrow. "There's another pair of gloves in the kit. I could use a hand."

"Gladly," Brody said, doing so.

"Are you a nurse or a doc or something?" Ronnie demanded.

"I'm a certified First Aid attendant," Millie said calmly. "I'm also the closest you're going to get to getting a doctor or nurse or even a paramedic right now, because I am not wasting their time or tax payer money, just for you fuzzy-wuzzy hepas to have your boo-boos fixed." She looked at Aaron coldly and held up a gauze pad with antibiotic cream on it. "Now, hold still, because this is going to smart a bit."

"And if I don't?" Aaron asked.

Millie jerked her head towards Brody. "Then she breaks your nose." Brody smiled widely and cracked her knuckles, causing Chris to chuckle.

"That's police brutality!" Ronnie yelled.

"No, that's defending myself from sexual harassment," Millie shot back, carefully applying the gauze to Arron's nose, with Brody helping her tape it in place.

"Would she?" Danny asked Chris.

"Wouldn't be the first time," Chris said. "Or the worst. First time she and I ever did an interrogation together, she bounced the guy's head off the table when he made a crude pass at her."

Once Millie and Brody finished patching up the suspects, they turned them over to the two officers, who read them their rights as they escorted them to their cars. They would be taken to Headquarters for interrogation. In the mean time, everyone else would regroup at Headquarters and go from there.

Chris did not fail to miss the quick hand-squeeze Steve gave Millie, or the look they shared. Steve may have been Millie's boss, but he would bet his badge there was something else going on between those two.

"What's the food like here?" Brody asked Millie as she drove.

"From someone who was born and raised in Oregon, absolutely fantastic," Millie said. "Place I like to visit, it does a pineapple burger that will make your doctor cry if you're watching your cholesterol levels."

Brody's eyes lit up. "Can we stop for a quick bite afterwards?"

"Airplane food suck much?" Millie asked.

"Are you kidding me? That's not food. I don't know what it is, but that's not food," Brody said.

"You've been spoiled by Pride's cooking," Chris teased.

"And Loretta's. Don't forget her Cajun chicken," Brody shot back, grinning.

"In that case, you are going to love Hawaiian cooking, especially the Kālua pig," Millie said. "That thing slow-cooks for hours and it is so damn good, it's unreal. I had some when I first came to the island and I thought I'd died and gone to heaven."

"First chance we get..." Brody swore.

"You're gonna gain about ten pounds," Chris promised.

"Happily," Brody shot back, grinning. "Very happily."


	55. Chapter 55

**Chapter 55**

Steve and Danny had first hit Ronnie Culbert's home, but he wasn't there. A friendly chat with the neighbours sent them towards the Legends Sports Pub. Thanks to a paid tip to the bartender, Steve and Danny had hung around the pub for the better part of an hour before Ronnie had shown up, along with his buddy, Aaron. Unfortunately, that hadn't stopped them from running. Now they were in the interrogation rooms and cuffed to the chairs.

"Resisting arrest on numerous occasions, uttering threats, unlawful possession of a weapon, you've got quite the rapsheet," Brody said, reading through Ronnie's file.

"Fuck you. I got rights," Ronnie snarled.

"Yes, you do. So do we. And we have the right to question you," Steve said. "We also have a responsibility to uphold the law, which you've broken six times over, at least."

"And CSU just loves your Mustang," Brody said, smiling widely. "By the way, that was a really nice little revolver they found in the glove compartment." She studied the report. "Oops, sorry, not so little. A 460V Smith and Wesson? Those things are big game hunter revolvers." She smirked at Steve. "Makes me wonder if he was trying to compensate for something."

Steve grinned widely, watching Ronnie flush. He was really starting to like this particular NCIS agent. "Well, if he's trying to compensate for his lack of brain, he's doing a lousy job of it," he said.

"The Second Amendment says I got the right to bear arms!" Ronnie yelled.

"The Second Amendment. Right. Except that same Second Amendment also says that the government has the right to restrict ownership and sale of said weapons," Steve said. "You have your rights. We have ours, and ours trump yours."

"There is that," Brody said. She held up a photo of Wilson. "What's your beef with him?"

"What do you care?" Ronnie said sullenly.

"Considering he was an undercover DEA agent, I think we care quite a bit," Steve said. "We found his blood in the van you borrowed from a friend. Tried to tell said friend that it was pig blood, but it wasn't."

"And freezing him? Seriously?" Brody asked. "That is so yesterday. Creative, but so yesterday."

"Wonder what the guys in Halawa would think about that, especially when they find out he was used to make it look like a Petty Officer in New Orleans was raped and murdered by him?" Steve mused.

"Raped? Murdered? A Navy officer?" Ronnie repeated, his face going pale.

"Yeah, poor thing," Brody said. "What did she ever do to you guys?"

" I didn't touch her!" Ronnie protested.

"Someone did," Steve said. "And since you were the one who dumped Wilson's body, well, I think you know where this line of thinking is going."

Ronnie did indeed know where the line of thinking was going. "Look, he was already dead when we dumped him!" he yelled desperately.

"Then who killed him?" Brody asked. "And when?"

"If I tell you, will you cut me a deal?" Ronnie asked.

"Depends on what you offer," Steve said.

"Look, I didn't know that guy was DEA. I was told my boss caught him screwing around with his girl," Ronnie said desperately.

"Who's your boss?" Steve asked. "Oh, and the name of the girl?"

"Tyler Lydiatt," he said. "I don't know who the girl is; he didn't say."

"Tyler Lydiatt," Steve repeated. "Okay. Keep going."

"He just said the guy was at his place and he needed us to get rid of him. Don't know why he was in the freezer, but he was. So we got him out, waited until he thawed out a bit, then bashed his brains in with a hammer to cover up the bullet in the head," Ronnie said desperately.

"How nice," Brody said. "Did he say why Wilson was frozen?"

"Don't know, don't care," Ronnie said. "Tyler's a sick son of a bitch with a sick sense of humor, but he's always got good girls and good guns, as long as we do what he says, when he says. Last guy who didn't, wound up as bait for the tiger sharks."

"So you're more afraid of him than you are of us, is that what you're saying?" Steve asked.

"Look, I didn't kill that guy, and I sure as hell didn't touch that Navy kid," Ronnie said. "I may not like anyone with a badge or a uniform, but I don't hurt women like that. And if Tyler thinks I'm going to take the rap for that, he's got another thing comin'. I figure with everything else, I stand a chance, but with a rape charge hanging over my head, I stand no chance."

"Fine. Address of where you picked up Wilson's body," Steve said.

Ronnie told them.

In the hallway, Danny and Chris joined them. "Aaron tried to pull the Second Amendment thing on us with the gun, but claims their boss, Tyler Lydiatt, called them up and told them to get rid of Wilson's body. Claimed he'd been messing with his girl and he'd shot him," Chris said. "Didn't know who the girl was."

"He also denied having anything to do with Petty Officer Brimby's rape and death," Danny said.

"That's the same story and the same name we got from Ronnie," Steve said. "We'll book them for the weapons, resisting, and whatever, and find this Tyler Lydiatt."

Upstairs, Millie ran Tyler Lydiatt's name and the address both Aaron and Ronnie had given them while Steve had the men booked.

"Tyler Lydiatt. Weapons possession, aggravated assault, assault with a deadly weapon, resisting arrest, uttering threats, and it goes on and on," Millie said. "This fellow has a real hate-on for authority. He even tried to attack a group of Marines at a bar one time and from what I'm reading here, got his ass handed to him. Then he tried to ambush one of the Marines outside the bar, and it was the same old story."

"Boy don't learn, do he?" Chris asked.

"Doesn't look like it," Lou said.

"He did his time and he's been out for about four months," Millie said. "I thought his name sounded familiar, so I checked Wilson's notes. Wilson encountered him all right, and check this out." She brought up his DMV picture and compared it to the video still from the airport security cameras. "I'm pushing my luck here, but I'm willing to bet that's him on that flight. I forwarded a copy of his photo to Pride to see if he could make anything out of him."

"Good. Is he connected to anything regarding C-4?" Steve asked.

"Not that I can see, but then again, I've only started a surface search," Millie said. "However, based on Wilson's notes, I did some calling around. According to what you guys tell me, trying to get C-4, even commercial-grade, is difficult to do, and there aren't too many companies around that specialize in controlled explosions."

"Nothing stolen or missing?" Kono asked.

"Nothing. But then I found this word in Wilson's notes; bleach. I also found this; KCl. Potassium chloride," Millie said, pulling up an internet article she'd come across. "Surprise, surprise. You can get potassium chloride from bleach. Add melted wax, Vaseline, white gasoline, and a grade three blasting cap, and you've got your very own plastic explosive."

"They don't have to steal the stuff; they can make it," Steve realized. "And you can get bleach anywhere."

"And the scary part? I did some research on grade three blasting caps and came across a few recipes for making your own, using empty cartridge casings, a bit of string, and some black powder, plus one or two other things," Millie said. "I was starting to get a headache after a bit."

"And empty cartridge casings are very easy to get. Same with black powder," Steve realized. "Fireworks, plus the number of hunters we have on the island."

"Exactly. And I think Wilson was beginning to realize that too," Millie said. "His later notes indicate Lydiatt was talking about making a big impression on someone, and Wilson wasn't so sure it would be a good one."

"Can we get him for anything?" Danny asked.

"Based on what I'm seeing, you could get him for weapons violations," Millie said. "But trying to get to him is going to be tricky. The address you guys got? It belongs to a house that's fortified. You don't come in unless he invites you."

"We could bring him in for questioning in regards to Wilson," Lou said.

"You could, if you could convince him to come out of his fortress and leave his lawyer at home, which happens to be his son-in-law, by the way," Millie said. "I checked with a few people. He is very anti-authority and has made very plain that if anyone with a badge goes near him or his property, they're as good as dead."

"You got any helpful advice for us?" Lou asked sourly.

"Yeah. Let Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum sit overnight with the worst of the worst. Then see them in the morning. I'm betting a Pay Day coffee they'll be more than a little willing to give us a hand," Millie said. "And we can set these two on them," she said, jerking a thumb at the two NCIS agents.

"What about Shane's Bar and Grill?" Steve asked. "How did that go?"

"We weren't even in there for half an hour and spotted three drug deals going down," Chin said. "We showed Wilson's picture to the bartender and the girl recognized him. Said he usually hung out with a group of men who were known anti-armed forces and guaranteed to get into a bar fight at least once a week."

"What about Mae Roszell?" Danny asked.

"She works there," Kono said. "She wasn't in today, but she should be in tomorrow."

"Okay, it's getting late," Steve said. "We'll pick up Mae in the morning and go after Ronnie and Aaron again then."

"You guys got a place to stay?" Millie asked Chris and Brody.

"Yeah, Pride set us up with a place, thanks to the NCIS branch here," Chris said. "We just need a lift."

"And directions to the nearest restaurant," Brody said. "I'm starving."

"Got anything in particular in mind?" Lou asked.

"As long as it's food and lets me sample the local cuisine, I'm happy," Brody said.

"Then I promise you, before you leave, you will be very happy," Millie promised.

_The next morning:_

Brody's eyes went wide. Millie's appearance was in complete contrast of what she wore yesterday. Yesterday she had looked professional and pretty. Today, she looked as if she'd been dragged out of bed by her ankles. She wore a large dark green men's short-sleeve dress shirt over a grey bra top camisole, Army green camouflage cargo shorts, an extra large open dark green men's Hawaii Warriors zip hoodie sweatshirt, and black and silver Skechers runners. She had her leather messenger bag on one shoulder and appeared to be cradling her breasts protectively. In her other hand was a kitty carrier and Brody swore she heard squeaking noises coming from the carrier. Then she felt her jaw drop as Steve joined Millie, and Millie tilted her face up to accept his kiss.

"I knew something was going on between those two," Chris said softly to Brody, as he watched the interaction.

"Morning, sweetheart. Who've you got there?" Steve asked, reaching inside Millie's top to stroke whatever it was she was protecting.

"This is Kini," Millie said. "According to that Hawaiian name app, it means Tiny. She's a purebred Munchkin and the runt of the litter, so she needs a bit of extra attention. Flo, my neighbour, got called back to Japan for a family funeral and her daughter's friend can't handle the demands of Kini the way I can, so..."

"So you're kitten-sitting again," Steve guessed, his arm around her waist, as he led her to her office. "And the carrier?"

"That's Miss Kitty and her two babies, Thing One and Thing Two," Millie said. "Her foster momma had a family emergency. Miss Kitty is badly malnourished, so Things One and Two are being bottle fed while she gets some weight put back on. And to top all this off, my neighbours decided to hold a party until the early hours of the freaking morning."

"What kind of music?" Steve asked.

"Heavy metal, I think."

"Yikes," he said. "Why did you come over? You would have gotten more sleep that way."

The look she gave Steve had Brody blushing at the unspoken implications. "No, I wouldn't have. And you know it."

"Is this normal?" Chris asked Danny, who had joined them, as Steve and Millie entered her office.

"What? Millie and the kitties or Millie and Steve?" Danny asked.

"Both!" Brody said.

"In that case, yes to both," Danny said. "Millie and Steve have been dating for a while, and Millie is a respected volunteer for the Honolulu SPCA. About three weeks ago, SWAT hits a house with us, and one of the guys finds a litter of Rottweiler puppies and Mommy, who was in pretty bad shape and scared of us. Millie was with us in the surveillance truck, and she was able to rig up a snare pole to help us get Mommy calmed down enough to get a leash on her."

"Oh my god," Chris moaned softly.

"Mommy is doing okay now, and she's with a foster home who's working on retraining her so she'll stand a chance at finding a better home," Danny said.

"And the puppies?" Brody asked.

"There were five of the cuties, and one of them got adopted by one of the HPD guys looking to train a new K-9," Danny said. "Millie says the rest are all doing good." Steve joined them. "How's our favorite kitty lady?" he asked.

"Tired. She's on duty today, so she won't be going anywhere," Steve said.

"What's a munchkin?" Chris asked.

"It's a breed of cat with an average body but shorter-than-average legs," Steve said. "One of Millie's neighbours breeds them. I swear, they take advantage of her sometimes."

"They do, and she lets them get away with it because she's a suck and she knows it," Kono said, joining them.

"Okay, let's get things back on track here," Steve said. "You and Chin, go talk to Mae Roszell. Find out what she knows, if she knows anything." Both Kono and Chin nodded. "We're going to go after Aaron and Ronnie. Their little overnight stay should have warmed them up to us by now."

"Or vice versa," said Danny.

"And Tyler Lydiatt?" Lou asked.

"Find him and bring him in. We've got two witnesses that say he killed Wilson over a girl," Steve said.

"Care to join me?" Lou asked Chris and Brody.

"Sounds like fun to me," Brody said.

"Stay in touch," Steve said. "And be careful."

Chris snorted. "I was a deputy sheriff for a vice squad in Alabama for a while, and did the same in New Orleans. I know a thing or two about being careful, and I know a thing or two about dealing with guys like Tyler Lydiatt. And what I don't do, she will," he said, pointing to Brody, who smiled widely.

"Try not to enjoy yourselves too much," Steve said, recognizing that smile.

"I'm in Hawaii for the first time in my life. I'm going to have a lot of fun," Brody shot back.

"And so am I," Millie said, joining them. "I just got word from my brother, Sam. He just sold his share of his contracting company to his partner and pretty much everything else he owns. I can expect to see him in the next few days." She rubbed her eyes tiredly and took a mouthful of coffee from a very large coffee mug. "If you need me, beep me. I'm not going anywhere today." She reached into her camisole to rub the tiny kitten head that popped out and squeaked at her. The kitten had the beginnings of seal point markings on her face and was the cutest thing Brody and Kono had ever seen.

"Except the couch later today," Steve said. "I don't need you dropping of exhaustion again. What do you have?"

"Other than Kini, a tip from Gunny," Millie said. "Peterson showed up and demanded to know what he knew. Somebody punch that bonehead's lights out, please."

"Gladly," said Lou. "I'm starting to have a real hate-on for this guy."

"Add him to the Hit List, please," Millie said.

"Broken nose or broken arm?" Danny teased.

"Whatever you can reach first," Millie said, dead serious.


	56. Chapter 56

**Chapter 56**

"How are you feeling today?" Steve asked Ronnie, who stared at him sullenly.

"Just fuckin' dandy, man," Ronnie groused. "You've already got me on weapons charges and a whole other shit. What do you want now?"

"To see if you'll help us with your boss," Danny said. "The more you help us, the more we help you with the D.A."

Ronnie glared at them, not feeling too sociable at the moment. It had been a long night for him and he swore those Five-0 guys had deliberately put him with some real nasty dudes. "Why should I help you assholes?"

"A lighter sentence, maybe? Not being charged with obstruction of justice, perhaps?" Steve suggested. "Or being charged with Agent Wilson's murder?"

"I had nothing to do with that!" Ronnie yelled. "I told you who did it!"

"But it's your word against his, and right now, we have no evidence that says you didn't," Danny pointed out.

"You moved the body. That's tampering with evidence right there," Steve said.

There was a knock at the door and Millie stuck her head in, still cradling Kini, and holding a folder. "Just got the autopsy report on Agent Wilson," she said, coming in. "Makes for interesting reading." Steve accepted the file and glanced through it. "Once Dr. Shaw was able to thaw him out, she discovered Wilson was shot with what looks like a .380 bullet. It basically ping-ponged around in his brain," Millie continued. "I checked, and Lydiatt owns a Bersa Thunder .380."

"She says he was restrained and beaten before he was shot," Steve said. "He was interrogated and tortured."

"Dr. Shaw found rope burns on his wrists and ankles," Millie said, rubbing Kini's head when she popped out and squeaked up at her.

"What's with the little fellow?" Ronnie asked, his face softening at the sight of the kitten.

"Hmm? Oh, this is Kini. She's the runt of her litter and needs a bit of extra care," Millie said. "I'm just making sure she's safe and warm all the time."

"Good way to do it," Ronnie said. There was no sexual innuendo in his voice, so the men didn't think about hitting him.

Millie glanced at Steve and Danny. "If you promise to behave, would you like to pet her? She loves attention, and she's very much a cuddle baby."

"Sure, if you don't mind," Ronnie said.

Danny released one of the cuffs and Millie put Kini in his lap. "What's wrong with her legs? She's so tiny," he said, stroking the kitten's head.

"There's nothing wrong with her legs. She's a breed known as a Munchkin. They have short legs and long bodies, like a dashund, and are fabulous jumpers," Millie explained. "They're also incredibly smart. Kini's just the runt of the litter, and her breeder is in Japan at the moment. I live nearby and offered to help care for her. I'm also temporary foster momma to another kitty and her two babies. Miss Kitty needs to put on a bit of weight, so I'm bottle feeding Thing One and Two to give her a break."

"She does this all the time," Steve said, sensing a weakness in Ronnie, as the biker tenderly petted the kitten, smiling when Kini tried to play bite him. "The Honolulu SPCA loves her, and thanks to her, I've gotten real good at bottle feeding kittens and puppies."

"Tyler said you guys were a bunch of assholes who never gave a damn about anyone or anything," Ronnie said conversationally. "He said you trod over everyone's rights and were at the beck and call of our nigger governor."

"That's not true," Danny said. "We do give a damn. We give a damn about upholding the law and protecting innocent people, people who have a right to not be afraid of being shot the moment they step outside, or because they wear a uniform."

"People like Agent Wilson, they gave a damn about keeping people safe and keeping drugs off the street and out of the hands of kids," Steve said. "And because he was murdered, we give a damn about what happened to him, and to his step-sister, who was raped and murdered."

"No woman deserves that," Millie said.

"Do you know why she was raped and killed?" Ronnie asked.

"Not at this moment, no. New Orleans NCIS is looking in to it and working with us because of Petty Officer Brimby's connection to Agent Wilson," Steve said. "We know someone tried to make it look like Wilson had murdered her, but our medical examiner says he was dead before then. We also know someone used his credit card to purchase return tickets to and from New Orleans, but the cameras are saying it wasn't him that boarded that flight."

"Someone else killed her, but you had a hand in dumping Wilson's body and helping your boss cover things up," Danny said.

"There's a program in one of the prisons," Millie said. "The prisoners get to help care for the feral cat population, and you have to have a certain temperament in order to be allowed to do that, which you seem to have."

"Help us get Tyler Lydiatt," Steve said, "and we'll see about getting you into the program."

Ronnie was quiet for a moment, stroking Kini, who was purring contentedly. Then he nodded. "You get me into one of those programs, and I'll help you with Tyler. What do you need to know?"

Millie's phone rang. She moved off to one side and spoke quietly to someone, then rejoined them. "I have to go. Sam just showed up."

"Your brother, Sam?" Steve asked. "I thought he wasn't due for a few more days."

"So did I," Millie groused. "If he has his tools with him, I'm going to use his hammer on him, just out of general principle."

Ronnie smiled at that. "Sounds like the way me and my sister used to argue."

"Same here," Danny said. "My brother and I used to argue all the time. Sometimes I wish we still did."

"How come you don't?" Ronnie asked, letting Millie take Kini back and watching as she tucked the kitten back in her place in her top.

"Because he was murdered by a very dangerous Columbian drug lord, after he stole a boat-load of money from him, money I had to pay back," Danny said.

"Did you get the son of a bitch?" Ronnie asked. Danny just smiled at him, but it was a smile that didn't reach his eyes. Ronnie got the message. "You take one of mine, I take one of yours," he said. "What I would have done. I'm starting to think Tyler was wrong."

"Catch you guys later, and Ronnie?" Millie said.

"Yes ma'am?"

"You keep your end of the deal, I'll keep mine," Millie said, accepting the file back from Steve.

"Fair enough, ma'am," Ronnie said. As she left the room, he looked at the two men and said, "Where do I even start?"

_Shane's Bar and Grill_

"That's Jeff, Jeff Procinsky, but he told me to call him Bruce in private. What happened to him?" Mae Roszell asked.

"He was murdered a few days ago, but his body was found yesterday," Chin said.

"Oh god," Mae moaned. "No wonder he wasn't answering his calls."

"How well did you know him?" Kono asked.

"Very well. He was really sweet," Mae said, tears sliding down her face as she studied Wilson's picture. "He told me he wasn't from around here, that he had family on the mainland."

"Did he ever say where he was from or his job or anything like that?" Kono asked. She and Chin were back at Shane's Bar and Grill, where Mae worked, and the waitress had been shown his picture. She had recognized him instantly.

"Alabama, I think," Mae said. "I think he was lonely, because he always seemed to show up on my shifts, and he only ever drank coffee or ordered dessert when he was with these guys he always hung with, but sometimes he'd show up when they weren't here. He was protective of me, made sure I didn't get hassled or grabbed by some of the customers. I used to tease him about asking me out, and he always said he would, once he took care of business here."

"Did he say what that was?" Chin asked.

Mae shook her head. "He never said, only that once it was done, he'd take me on a ride around the islands, make sure I got treated like the lady I was."

"What did you talk about on the phone?" Kono asked.

Mae laughed. "What didn't we talk about? We covered everything from politics to sex, and it wasn't dirt talk sex. It was real conversation, about anything and everything. I was falling in love with him, and I hadn't even kissed him yet. Was Jeff his real name?"

"It was actually Bruce Wilson. He was an undercover DEA agent," Kono said.

Mae chuckled sadly. "Somehow, that doesn't surprise me. I'm gonna miss him."

"I'm sorry for your loss," Chin said, meaning it.

"Did anything happen the last time you saw or spoke to him?" Kono asked.

"Funny enough, yeah. It was Shark Week on Discovery, and we were talking about that, when this guy named Tyler showed up. Seen him around a time or two, real jerk around us women. Thinks he's God's gift to women, but he's a lousy tipper. He said he wanted talk to him about something," Mae said.

Kono brought up Tyler Lydiatt's DMV photo. "That him?"

"That's him," Mae said, nodding.

"What did they talk about?" Chin asked.

"I caught the name Pickerson, but they walked away before I could catch the rest of it," Mae said. She worried her lip. "Bruce did kind of go pale at that name, though, but he covered real good. He promised to catch up to me later, but he never did, and I started getting worried. I guess I know why he never called again." She looked up at them, worry in her eyes. "Am I in any danger?"

"Why do you ask that?" Chin asked.

"Because this Tyler guy, rumour has it he has a real mean temper, especially anything to do with cops or you guys," Mae said. "I've heard him rant about you guys a few times. He absolutely hates the fact that you can do what you do, and the last time someone tried to go after you guys, they got their asses handed to them."

Chin took out a business card and wrote down the number for Dispatch. "If you run into any problems, call this number and ask to speak to any member of Five-0. It might not be me or Kono, but it will be Five-0, and if you're in trouble, we'll come running," he said.

Mae nodded, accepting the card. "I hope you find the jerks who hurt him."

"We intend to, trust me on that," Kono said.

As they drove back to Headquarters, they talked.

"Pickerson again," Kono said. "If Tyler Lydiatt was talking about Agent Pickerson, then that meant Lydiatt knew Wilson was an undercover, and Pickerson is a mole."

"Which could mean Wilson was set up by Pickerson," Chin said. "And that means we have a bigger problem than just a dead DEA agent."

"Isn't Millie supposed to be meeting with Pickerson sometime today?" Kono asked.

"Call her, warn her," Chin said, worry etching his face.

Millie answered on the second ring.

"_Go ahead_," Millie said.

"It's Kono. Listen, be very careful. We just spoke to Mae Roszell, and she said the last time she saw Wilson, Tyler Lydiatt dropped Agent Pickerson's name. Is he with you?" Kono asked, putting her phone on speaker.

"_Yeah, I think there might be one in my office_," Millie said. "_You do need to fill it out in a timely fashion, and the sooner you get it to me, the better_."

"Understood," Kono said, watching Chin speed up the car. "We're on our way."

"_Also, I've got a contractor is due in pretty quick, and he's going take a look at a few things and give us a quote_," Millie said.

_Contractor?_ Chin mouthed silently, confused.

"Your brother is on his way?" Kono asked, remembering what Millie had said about Sam being a contractor.

"_No, he's from the i kēia manawa company_," Millie said. "_Highly recommended_."

"He's there now," Chin said, recognizing the words. "Be careful. We'll be there as fast as we can."

"_Mahalo_," Millie said, ending the call.

Kono quickly called Steve and explained the situation. "She said Pickerson's there, and so is her brother, but she said it without actually saying it, which says Pickerson is either listening or nearby."

"_Damn_," Danny cursed, listening in.

"_We're on our way. Let Lou know_," Steve said.

"Will do," said Kono.

"I've got a bad feeling about this," Chin said.

"Same here," Kono said, before calling Lou.

_Five-0 Headquarters:_

Millie smiled at Agent Pickerson, who smiled back.

"Everything okay?" he asked.

"Everything's fine," Millie lied, not trusting Pickerson one tiny bit. Kono's phone call had increased that dislike. "The joys of being a secretary; getting stuck with the majority of the paperwork."

"Thought your rank was Officer?" Pickerson said. Pickerson was a foot taller than she was, with dark blue eyes and dark brown hair cut close. He had a Commander Riker-type beard and mustache and tanned skin. At the moment, he was dressed in a brown suit, blue shirt, and dark blue tie, an outfit that Millie was sure was worth a pretty penny, based on the glittering cufflinks she was seeing on his shirt cuffs.

"It is. In the field, I'm Logistics Support. Here, I'm Administrative Assistant," Millie said. They were standing at the computer table. Millie's feline charges were in her office, with Kini snuggled with Thing One and Two and Miss Kitty not minding in the slightest. Sam had shown up unexpectedly, given her a hug and an explanation, and was now in the staff kitchen, getting a cup of coffee, and unbeknownst to her, watching the unfolding events closely. "Now, we have a bit of a problem."

"I'm assuming that's the reason you told me to get my ass over here," Pickerson said.

"Agent Bruce Wilson," Millie said. "His phone records show that the last call he made was to you and it lasted about six minutes. What was that call about?"

Pickerson shrugged. "Nothing important. It was just a routine check-in call."

Millie groaned mentally. "What did he say, Agent Pickerson?" Millie asked. "If you try and tell me it was nothing important again, I am going to get cranky."

Pickerson smiled condescendingly at her. "It was nothing important. You guys have no jurisdiction over me. I will tell you what I want, when I want, and I will decide if it's relevant or not."

"Wrong. We are a governor-backed task force, bucko. That means we have jurisdiction over you. It also means I get to decide what is important and what isn't, especially in regards to information pertaining to the murder victim," Millie said coldly. "Now, get your fat head out of your shit-stinking ass, and tell me what, exactly, was said during that call." She smiled. "Or do I have to call Governor Denning himself?"

Pickerson stared at her, seeming to weigh his options. "You are one real high and mighty bitch, aren't you?" he said.

"Yeah. And?" Millie shot back. "Keep this up, and I'll have you arrested for obstruction of justice, and you can explain that to your supervisor. Supervisory Special Agent Shania Pugh, if I recall correctly. I have her number on speed-dial. Would you care to chat with her, and explain why you're obstructing the investigation of Agent Wilson's murder? Oh, and explain why you were hassling Gunny, who happens to be a respected former Marine?"

"If he's so respected, why is he out on the streets like some loser?" Pickerson snapped.

"It's his choice, and I respect that," Millie said, refusing to be drawn into an argument with him. "Last warning. What did you and Wilson talk about?"

"Fuck you, bitch. I'm not saying another word, and you can't make me," Pickerson snarled. "I'm out of here."

He spun around to leave, but suddenly saw Steve and Danny heading straight for him, hands on their weapons.

"No you're not. I still have a few more questions for you. Like how do you know Tyler Lydiatt?" Millie asked casually, moving to stand beside him, arms folded across her chest. "I have a witness who says the last time Wilson was seen, Tyler Lydiatt dropped your name. The next time anyone sees Wilson, he's dead, and so is his stepsister in New Orleans. I'm sure you know what our line of thinking is."

Pickerson's face went pale. He was in serious trouble, and he knew it.

Yanking out his gun, he grabbed Millie around the neck and shoved the gun into her ribs, causing her to yell in shock.

"We're walking out of here," his hissed, lifting her up to her toes, causing her to gag and claw at him.

"That's what you think, jerkface!" Millie rasped.

"Let her go!" Steve snapped, aiming his gun at the agent.

"Not a chance! We're walking out of here, and then I'm going to disappear!" Pickerson said. "Wilson was always too nosy for his own good! He got what he deserved! Maybe I'll set Tyler on that pretty little waitresses, just to see what she knows!"

"Bastard!" Millie yelled angrily, struggling against him. "Touch her and I'll feed you your balls for supper!"

Pickerson suddenly found himself being spun around and a fist flying towards his face. Then he saw stars.

Sam stared at the limp form of Pickerson on the floor, who was looking at him dazedly. "That's my sister you were picking on, asshole," he said, rubbing his knuckles.

"Nice punch," Danny said, joining them. "Sam Bryant?" he asked.

"That's me," Sam said, accepting Danny's hand.

"Detective Danny Williams, and that's Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett," Danny said, watching as Steve nudged Pickerson on to his stomach and accepted the plastic cuffs Millie had grabbed from their gear section.

"Pleasure," Sam said. "I thought Millie was kidding when she said that just because she was a secretary didn't mean she wasn't immune to the fun that happened around here."

"She wasn't," Danny said, helping Steve help a dazed Pickerson stand up. "Up, up, you asshole. That's what you get for picking on our favorite secretary."

"And because you didn't want to play nice, you get to visit our interrogation room and Millie gets to make a phone call to your supervisor," Steve said.

"I've just called Duke for backup," Millie said, touching her ear, where her headset was. "He's on his way."

"Millie!" Kono called, rushing up to join them. "You okay?"

"I'm good, but I think we need to have a lesson or two about being grabbed around the neck and lifted," Millie groused.

"Good idea. I know who you can pick on, too," Kono said.

"What did he do?" Chin asked.

"Grabbed her around the neck and held a gun to her and tried to walk out of here with her," Steve said. "Sam punched him. And now he has some explaining to do."


	57. Chapter 57

**Chapter 57**

While HPD took possession of Pickerson, Steve called Lou and told him what had just happened, and Millie called Supervisory Special Agent Shania Pugh and explained the situation and prior events. What the agent called Pickerson was not worth repeating.

"She's as mad as hell," Millie reported. "She even had me give her our fax number and said she would be sending a document that gave us full authority to do whatever needed to be done to find out what happened to Wilson and what Pickerson's connection to Lydiatt is. As of right now, Pickerson has no rights, and unless he starts talking, no deals with the DEA will be forthcoming. She's also personally going through his office, his files, and will be going through his home. Anything she knows, we will know. I told her about what happened in New Orleans and she got even madder, saying Wilson had spoken of Brimby a few times and was evidently very close to her. If NCIS is onboard, the more the merrier. I asked her about Tyler Lydiatt, and she said the name was familiar, but wasn't sure why or where. Again, she promised to get back to me as soon as possible."

"Good," Steve said. "You okay?"

"Indignant, but I'm good. Stop fussing," Millie said, smiling to take the sting out of her words.

Chris, Brody, and Lou appeared.

"Son of a bitch is at his house and that thing's got walls that are at least eight feet high and two feet wide and topped with sharp, pointy things," Lou groused. "I hate those things, and unless we get a warrant, or a tank to bulldoze the damn place, he ain't comin' out."

"So we need to find a way in," Chris said.

Sam's eyes lit up. "Did you get a look at the house?" he asked.

"Big, fancy-looking thing," Lou said. "Two, maybe three floors, and that don't include the possibility of a basement. Why?"

"I'm a legit contractor and I've just moved to the island," Sam said, grinning. "Sooner or later, all houses need repairs or renovations. A house that size, it needs money to be maintained, and that money has to come from somewhere, and as a contractor and a master carpenter with over twenty years of experience, I've seen it all, done it all. I've even gone into houses that were used as grow-ops and had some real interesting conversations with the cops about those places."

"Boys and girls, this is Sam Bryant, my older brother. He's forty-four to my twenty-eight," Millie said. Millie introduced the rest of the team to Sam.

"You're a master carpenter?" Lou asked, curious. He could see the similarities in the siblings, despite the huge age gap.

"And a contractor. I sold my share of my business to my business partner after things with Mom and Victor got shot to hell. Decided it was time to get the hell out of Dodge for a while, and Millie did offer to let me stay with her for a while until I got settled," Sam said. "So I sold everything I had that I could afford to replace later, including my two-bedroom house."

"That was fast," Millie said.

"Not really. I sold it to my ex-wife and her hubby," Sam said, smirking. "Guy's a wannabe Mike Holmes but he's been in the hospital more often than he's actually been on a job site. So I deliberately sold all my tools and my truck, and had a bonfire with my training manuals. If he's going to be a master carpenter, he needs to earn it, preferably with a little less blood, but you get the idea."

"And I thought I was vindictive," Millie said.

"Oh this guy is a contractor's nightmare. He once tried to install a new light switch in his house with a butter knife, and didn't bother to check the breaker box to make sure the power had been disconnected," Sam said.

"Oh my god," Danny groaned.

Lou's eyes went wide. "Seriously?"

"Seriously. Took flying lessons in the process," Sam said. Millie nearly choked on her coffee. "Believe me when I say I wrote to Discovery's _Canada's Worst Handyman_ and begged them to start a new season, because I had the perfect candidate for the show!"

Chin grinned. "I loved that show."

"What would you need to pull it off?" Steve asked.

"I still have my tool belt and a few of my favorite tools that the airline let me take with me, but I would need to get a few other things, and get my area code on my cellphone changed," Sam said. "Otherwise, let me at 'em."

"I could get you a truck," Millie said. "If Lydiatt is as paranoid as he's looking, he'll have you checked out."

"We can backstop him," Brody said. "Patton Plame; he's our IT guy. Might take him a bit, but he's good."

"Do it," Steve said. "We'll hook you up with a camera and an earwig."

Something caught Millie's attention, and she headed for the main fax machine. She came back a moment later with a sheet of paper. "Who wants to beat up on Pickerson?" Brody's hand shot up eagerly, and Chris grinned at her. "In that case, you're going to need this. Agent Pugh came through; this is a signed affidavit saying we have been given sole authority over Pickerson and Wilson's murder investigation."

"How did it go with the two other bozos?" Kono asked.

"Amazing what a loss of sleep will do," Danny said. "Ronnie, in particular, is writing down everything he can remember in exchange for a sentence at a prison that has a feral cat population program. Guy went ga-ga over Millie's baby kitten."

"Mae Roszell?" Steve asked.

"She was the one who warned us about Agent Pickerson," Chin said. "Said the last time she saw Wilson, Lydiatt had stopped by the bar and said they needed to talk. As they were walking away, Mae said she heard Lydiatt drop the name Pickerson and said Wilson's face went a bit pale before he recovered. Then Wilson disappeared and the next thing she knows, he's dead."

"Which made us wonder if Pickerson was the mole," Kono said.

"I don't know what he is, but I do know he's in a lot of trouble," Millie said. "Stupid prick tried to grab me and walk out of here with a gun in my ribs. We need a few lessons on the grab and lift thingie."

"You could also try getting a pair of steel-toe runners," Sam said. "I had a teenage girl on my crew once, about your height. Skinny little thing. Walked home from a job site one night and she got grabbed. She didn't know how to fancy fight, but she fought. Cops found the guy at a nearby hospital with a broken kneecap and a broken foot. He also had a broken nose because she'd spent most of the summer hauling wood and swinging a hammer. Last I heard, she wore those steel toe runners everywhere, even when she wasn't on the job."

"That would give you an advantage," Kono said.

"Well, we have to go shopping anyway," Millie said. "I'll add it to the list."

"I don't get this whole thing," Chris said. "If Pickerson was the mole for Lydiatt, then he would have blown Wilson's cover, but he couldn't risk doing that without it coming back on him if Lydiatt got busted."

"And Wilson was supposed to be investigating a drug pipeline, not explosives," Brody said. "So how did he go from drugs to explosives?"

"And why is Lydiatt looking like he's deal with a lot of it?" Danny asked.

"I think I can answer that," Jerry said, joining them. "That was a lot of e-mails I had to go through. I want your hot tub for an hour," he said to Millie.

"Fine, as long as you don't mind my brother being there," Millie shot back. "He'll be staying with me for a while."

Jerry gulped at the size of Sam and his work-developed muscles, which were visible under his t-shirt.

"I can wait a few days," he said.

"Thank you," Millie said. "The e-mails?"

"The code was fairly simple once I figured it out," Jerry said, inserting a thumb drive into the computer table and pulling up a series of documents. "Wilson was telling his step-sister what was going on and admitting he was worried about things. He had been trying to track a drug line in Honolulu that he thought was coming through Lydiatt, but the more he integrated himself with the crew, the more he realized Lydiatt wasn't about drugs, but about explosives. Pickerson tried to pull him off the explosive thing several times and get him away from Lydiatt and back on the drug trail, but Wilson dug his heals in, with encouragement from Brimby, who was agreeing with him that something wasn't quite right. A large shipment of bleach was stolen from a transport truck about a week before Wilson disappeared, and a camping supply store was broken into around the same time. A large shipment of white gas camping fuel was stolen."

"And those are two ingredients used in the making of plastic explosives," Brody realized.

"Exactly, and that's what Wilson realized as well," Jerry said.

"Did he say anything about someone named Gunny?" Millie asked.

"He did; said he was worried about him and wanted to help him but wasn't sure how," Jerry said. "Said the guy had good intel. His last e-mail warned Brimby to be careful and to call Supervisory Agent Pugh if she didn't hear from him in a few days."

"When was the date of the last e-mail?" Chris said.

"About six days ago," Jerry said.

"We found Brimby five days ago, in a dumpster," Brody said. "Wilson must've been murdered shortly after sending that e-mail."

"And Pride got Brimby's parents to admit they knew who Wilson was," Chris said. "They confirmed the relationship but said they hadn't heard from him in months, other than second-hand information from Brimby herself."

"But why kill Brimby?" Kono asked.

"Maybe Pickerson knew about Brimby, because Agent Pugh knew about her, but he didn't know the exact relationship between them, so someone went up there to make it look like Wilson had gone up there and killed her, which would explain him disappearing, but they didn't realize the true nature of their relationship, and because Wilson was still flagged as being undercover, it would buy them a few more days while NCIS and HPD tried to untangle everything," Millie suggested.

"Word," Danny said.

"Which begs the question of who actually murdered her," Steve said. "We already know Lydiatt murdered Wilson, based on testimony from Ronnie and Aaron. The problem is just trying to prove it."

"Let me get into that house with a UV light and I can probably tell you," Sam said.

"I think you mean Luminol. UV lighting will tell you if there's biological fluid there, but Luminol will tell you if it's blood," Millie said. She rubbed her eyes tiredly. "There should be some swabs in one of the crime scene kits."

"Good idea," Steve said. "Okay, Brody, since you volunteered to go after Pickerson, we're going to tag-team him. Kono, you and Chin tear Pickerson's life apart. Same with you, Jerry. Millie, get in touch with Agent Pugh, tell her to expect Lou, Danny, and Chris. Go through his office and his home. Turn everything upside down."

"My idea of fun," Chris said.

"Sam, go shopping," Steve said. "Get whatever you need to pass yourself off as a contractor." He watched Millie yawn. "And you, once you find those police reports about the stolen bleach and camping fuel, go to my couch and get some sleep."

"I will, as soon as I feed Thing One and Two," Millie said, glancing at her watch.

She was asleep on Steve's couch half an hour later, three kittens snuggled on her chest.

Steve shook his head. "You crazy fool," he said softly. He went to a filing cabinet and pulled out a blanket he kept for when Millie used his couch, which she was known for doing, and covered her with it, being careful not to disturb her charges.

It had been an interesting interview session with Pickerson. Brody had been fun to work with and together, they had screwed Pickerson's head so tight Steve figured it was going to take a week before the poor soul unscrewed himself.

"We have him so firmly convinced that he was going to be introduced to the gay prison population that he told us everything we needed to know in exchange for not being sent to Halawa," Brody said gleefully to Kono and Chin at the computer table. "And Millie's little trick with the phone, that was so sweet!"

"What did she do?" Kono asked.

_Twenty minutes earlier:_

"I'm not telling you fuck all, bitches," Pickerson said. "I don't give a rat's ass what that bitch said, you are nothing to me. I want my lawyer."

Brody glanced at Steve with a raised eyebrow, but before they could do anything, Millie entered the room, carrying a file. She had removed her sweatjacket and seemed to have adjusted her top, because it looked a bit lower than usual, flashing a bit more cleavage. She was also wearing a perfume that had Steve thinking of hot nights and satin sheets, and that was not a good thing at that particular moment.

"What's up?" he asked, accepting the file and opening it. His eyebrows went up and he showed the file to Brody, who started grinning.

_Severely homophobic. Play along._

"Just spoke to Special Agent Pugh again. She gave me a bit more information on our newest resident," Millie said, coming closer to Pickerson and smiling seductively at him. "He loves women and likes to think women love him. I'm betting that's how Lydiatt got his hooks into him, because my contacts are saying that Lydiatt is never without a pretty girl or two on his arms." She leaned forward slightly, letting Pickerson see her cleavage. "Like what you see?" she asked huskily.

"You got a nice set of tits," Pickerson admitted.

"What about my legs? Heaven knows I half-kill myself on the stair climber just keeping these in shape," Millie pouted, running her hands down her legs.

"Very nice legs," Pickerson said. "So what?"

"So, that's the last bit of any kind of sexy-sex stuff from the female population you're going to be seeing for quite some time," Millie said softly, breathing in his ear. He shivered involuntarily. "I know for a fact that there are some very lonely men in Halawa Correctional, and after a while, they don't get too picky about how they get their sex."

"I'm too good for a place like Halawa," Pickerson boasted, unable to keep his eyes off her cleavage, brought to attention further by the Navy ring on the chain around her neck.

"You're too good, huh?" Millie asked softly. "I have a few friends who would beg to differ. As a matter of fact, you, sugar, are a prime specimen of what these particular fellows like," she continued, tapping his nose. "And you would be welcomed with open arms and hard dicks just waiting for your sweet ass." She smiled at him, watching his face go pale. "Being gay in prison isn't quite the problem as it was in years past; surely you know that." She held up her cellphone and waggled it. "Guess what? There's a prison guard I'm just _such_ good friends with and I'm sure he'd be _quite _happy to pass on a message to them. They're going to _love _you."

She smiled and moved away, heading for the corner, thumbing through her contact list.

"You can't do that!" Pickerson yelled, fighting against the cuffs.

"Actually, she can," Steve said. "She's very good at making friends and she's made some in the strangest places. It doesn't surprise me at all that she knows someone at Halawa."

"Homosexuality is a sin and any man who touches me like that, I'll kill that fucker!" Pickerson yelled.

"Before or after you get it up the ass?" Brody asked. "The guards don't like to talk about it (kind of embarrassing) but gang rapes do happen, I'm afraid."

Steve watched, grinning, as Millie made her call, deliberately turning away so Pickerson couldn't hear her, other than, "Hi Joey! You got time to talk to a pretty lady?"

"Call them off!" Pickerson yelled, clearly beginning to panic. "Call them off!"

"Why?" Brody asked. "Millie's making sure you'll have friends when you get to prison. She's very nice that way."

"I'm nobody's bitch!" Pickerson yelled.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Steve said. "Tell us what we want to know and I'll ask Millie to talk to the D.A. about sending you to a prison other than Halawa."

"Fuck you!" Pickerson asked.

Millie came over to Steve and, her thumb over the speaker, said, "Joey wants to know if you like white meat or dark meat."

"Bitch!" Pickerson yelled, fighting against the cuffs.

"Yeah, and?" Millie asked.

"Tell Joey both, for variety's sake," Steve said. He knew full-well who Joey was, but Pickerson didn't need to know that.

"Gotcha," Millie said, moving away again and bringing her phone back up to her ear.

Pickerson was panting in fear. "Fine! Fine!" he yelled. "I'll tell you whatever you want to know, but keep those homo-freaks away from me!"

Steve and Brody smiled. "We can do that. Millie?" Steve asked.

Millie rejoined them, putting her cellphone away. She whispered something in Steve's ear, who nodded. Then she left the room, after waving a cheerful goodbye at Pickerson.

"Now, talk," Brody said.

Pickerson spilled his guts. Afterwards, as Steve and Brody were leaving, Steve glanced at his watch. "The sandwiches should be here pretty quick. You hungry?" he asked Brody.

"Starving," Brody said.

"Sandwiches?" Pickerson asked, confused.

"Yeah. Joey? He does fantastic club sandwiches, and Millie knows I like turkey," Steve said. "So, for the sake of our guests, Millie told Joey to have both white and dark meat turkey sandwiches. Bit of variety." He clicked his tongue. "I love that girl."

Brody only just managed to keep a straight face as she and Steve walked out of the room, hearing Pickerson's strangled yell. Then she burst out laughing, Steve joining her.

_Present:_

"That is just plain mean," Kono chortled.

"That's our Millie," Chin said, grinning.


	58. Chapter 58

**Chapter 58**

Sam had Blackbird so he could do some shopping and a bit of job hunting, so Steve had picked up Millie for breakfast before work. Miss Kitty and her babies were back with their foster momma, and so was Kini.

"I made a deal with Flo in regards to Kini," Millie said. "One of the court clerks I'm friendly with, Beatrice, she's legally blind, and she fell in love with Kini. From what I could tell, the feeling was mutual. I spoke to Flo and she said that if Beatrice paid for her shots and gave a written promise of having Kini neutered when she comes of age, Beatrice could have her when she's old enough to leave her momma, which will be in about five weeks."

"I take it Beatrice grabbed the offer?" Steve asked, sipping his coffee.

They were in a McDonald's restaurant in a corner booth. It was quiet at the moment, and they were enjoying the peace and quiet because it gave them a chance to be a couple instead of boss and secretary.

Steve scowled at his coffee. "They skimped on the beans again," he grumbled.

Millie grinned at him. "I'll make a fresh pot for you at HQ," she promised. "And yes, Beatrice grabbed the offer with both hands. You know, we're overdue for a date."

"Like this isn't?" he teased.

"Oh, this is great, especially since it's coming out of your wallet," Millie shot back.

"Of course," he said, grinning. He loved teasing her because she fought back, giving as good as she got. "I'm open to suggestions."

"How about this; depending on how the case goes, how about we go for a wander around the Farmer's Market this Saturday?" she suggested. "Some of the local crops should be about ready by now."

He nodded. "Sounds like a good idea," he said. The first time he and Millie had gone wandering at a Farmer's Market, he'd been pleasantly surprised by what the local vendors had been offering. It had been a fun way to explore and unwind, and to see a different side of Honolulu. "What do you make of Chris and Meri?" he asked.

"They seem like a good pair," Millie said. "Apparently you guys have a connection. Someone named Dabi Moore-Gibbs?"

Steve nodded. "She's the daughter of an NCIS agent in Washington, D.C., and she was kidnapped while she was in Los Angles. Her kidnappers brought her here, intending to sell her on the sex slave market, but she fought them and got away. We got involved because she had been kidnapped by a very dangerous gun runner, who had kidnapped her to punish her father for investigating them. She's a good kid, and the last I heard, she was doing good. How do Meri and Chris know her?"

"Her dad, Special Agent Gibbs, is buddies with Agent Pride," Millie said. "Seems there was a nasty kerfufle a while back and Dabi stayed with them for a few days to try and take a mental break from things. While she was with them, she helped them investigate the case of a sailor who was beaten to death for trying to protect a teenage prostitute."

Steve scowled. "I think she and I need to have a chat."

"What are your plans for the day?" she asked, breaking off a piece of her hashbrown and popping it into her mouth.

"Aside from dealing with Lydiatt, we may have a lead on a cold case. You remember Dawn Olsson? The teenager who was found in the tidal pool about two months ago?"

"I think so," Millie said, trying to remember the case.

"One of Danny's CI's said he may have overheard someone bragging about her murder, so we're going to have a chat with him. Hopefully we can get a break."

"I hope so too. Her family deserves it."

"Beyond that, we outfit Sam up and send him in," Steve said.

"I'll keep my phone nearby in case you want me to yell at someone for a warrant," she promised.

"Thank you."

At Headquarters, Millie reached over to kiss Steve good-bye, but he stopped her before she could leave the truck.

"You call that a kiss?" he teased. "You can do better that that," he said, when her eyebrows shot up and a grin crossed her face.

"I'll show you better, bucko," she shot back, coming back into his arms, causing him to laugh. That quickly stopped when she proceeded to kiss him very, very thoroughly.

"Much better," he said, grinning at her, when they finally came up for air.

"Way," she said, trying to resist the urge to suggest they head back to his place and follow up on things. She hadn't spent the night at his place for a while and she was starting to get itchy. He seemed to feel the same way, with the way he was looking at her and touching her.

"First chance we get," he promised, seeing the need in her eyes.

She nodded. "I'd better go. Call me if something comes up."

"Will do," he said, reluctantly letting her go.

Neither of them saw the blonde woman watching them, jealousy and hatred in her eyes.

At the entrance to the building, Millie ran into Chris and Brody.

"Morning, guys," she said.

"Good morning yourself," Brody said. "Is Steve not joining us?"

"He will later, along with Danny," Millie explained. "Those two are going to be running down a lead on a cold case that's about two months old. They'll catch up to us, and so will Sam. Then they gear up and I keep my ear open for you guys wanting a warrant."

"So this is the quiet time," Chris said.

"Only until we find out what everyone else found out about Pickerson's life," Millie reminded them.

"That's the best part," Brody said, grinning.

"I wouldn't be at all surprised if Agent Pugh stopped by. She was pretty mad yesterday," Millie said.

"Even better," Chris said.

Chris and Brody watched as Millie stopped by the front desk to chat with the clerk, who handed her a small stack of pink phone messages. As she did, an attractive blonde woman in a pant dress suit appeared to spot her, and a predatory smile came across her face.

"We have a gator on the prowl," Chris muttered to Brody, who nodded, having spotted the woman as well, who was making her way over to Millie.

"I finally figured out how you got that cushy job of yours," Officer Lila Prolux said sweetly, leaning against the counter.

"Do tell," Millie said absently, going through her messages.

"Under the desk and with your legs spread. Tell me; does Commander McGarrett kiss as good as he looks?" Prolux said innocently.

Brody's eyes went wide and Chris's mouth dropped open.

The whole room went silent as Millie calmly raised her head and looked off into the distance, her expression unreadable. Prolux smirked, thinking she'd gotten the upper hand on her enemy. Millie's silence was, in fact, her only warning, which she failed to heed.

Her back to Prolux, Millie put her messages in her shirt pocket, calmly and deliberately took off her grandmother's engagement ring, and put it in her jean pant pocket.

Then she spun and swung.

The unexpected punch caught Prolux square across the jaw and sent the other woman staggering. Millie grabbed her shirt front, slammed her into a nearby column, and put her forearm into her throat, putting pressure on her throat, causing her to gag.

"Nice punch," Chris said conversationally, as if he was talking about the weather and not Millie's punch.

"Good form," Brody said in agreement.

Prolux looked at Millie, seeing the coldness in her eyes, and she shivered mentally.

"Go ahead; say that again. I dare you," Millie said softly.

Prolux didn't dare take her up on that dare, not in the position she was in.

Millie smiled coldly and let her go. She nearly collapsed to the floor, gasping for breath. No one moved in to help her.

Millie moved to walk away when Prolux fired a parting shot, determined to win the fight and humiliate Millie once and for all.

"I saw you kissing Commander McGarrett this morning!" she yelled, holding her aching face. "Everyone knows he was seeing that Navy woman before she left! Then he doesn't even so much as blink at another girl for months! And then you showed up, and now he can't seem to keep his eyes or his hands off you! You whored your way into that job and everyone knows it! You call yourself an officer, but you will never, _ever_ be one of us!"

"Uh-oh," Chris muttered softly, sensing a very dangerous change come over his friend.

Millie silently handed Brody her badge and gun, removed Keegan's watch and handed that to Chris, along with her ring, and rolled up her dress shirt sleeves. The other officers backed away, sensing what was coming.

Then Millie attacked.

She launched a punch, which Prolux blocked, smirking, but she wasn't able to block the follow-up double kidney punch. When Prolux dropped her hands reflexively and doubled over, Millie followed up with a vicious elbow strike to the face, causing the other woman to stagger, bringing her hands up to her face. She never saw Millie's kick to the stomach, made worse by her brand-new black steel-toe runners, which caused Prolux to double over in pain, leaving her face exposed Millie's knee, a move that split one of her eyebrows. This snapped her head and body up, and Millie followed up with a vicious back elbow strike, breaking the woman's nose. When she tried for a wild swinging punch, Millie blocked it, then threw a punch of her own that split her lip. A second swing was also blocked. Millie responded to that one with a kick to the side of her knee that would have dropped her if Millie hadn't been holding her arm. She followed up with a hip throw (thank you Steve and Kono) that planted Prolux on the floor with a loud thud.

Prolux lay there, breathing hard, and feeling her eyes watering from the pain. She rolled over on her side and coughed, trying not to choke on her own blood. She couldn't decide what hurt the most, only that she hurt.

She looked up to see Millie staring down at her. There was no expression on her face, but there were dry-ice-cold ice chips in her eyes. She began to realize she had poked the nest once too often, and gotten rewarded with a face-full of Yellowjackets. The worst part was the humiliation; she had not been able to get a single satisfying hit in the whole of the fight, and everyone knew it. For someone who was supposed to be a mere secretary, Millie had serious skills.

"I think you've overstayed your welcome, Officer Prolux," Millie said softly. "You need to _get off_ my island."

Prolux gulped. The unspoken implication was loud and clear; or else. Millie had won, plain and simple.

As Millie accepted her gear back from Brody, Chris said, "You know what we call that in New Orleans?"

"Probably the same thing we do here," Millie said conversationally, rolling down her sleeves and accepting her ring and watch from Chris.

"A beat down," Duke said, joining them, watching as a rookie cop reluctantly handed Prolux a wad of tissues for her face. "And a well-deserved one."

"Yup. Officer Prolux just got owned by someone who isn't a cop," Brody said proudly.

As they walked away, Millie introduced the NCIS agents to Duke. "Our victim has a connection to their victim in New Orleans," she explained.

Duke nodded. "Anything I should know about?"

"Yeah. Keep your ears open for anything regarding Tyler Lydiatt. He's connected to our case, and things that go boom are being connected to his name."

"Oh joy," Duke groused.

Millie smiled at him and gave him a shoulder hug. "Just another day in paradise, huh?"

"Is that what you call it?" Duke shot back sourly. "At this rate, a heart attack will get to me before retirement does!"

"Awww, I love you too," Millie quipped, causing Chris and Brody to grin at them. Their antics reminded them of Pride and Loretta.

Duke chuckled before turning serious. "Don't ever tell anyone I said this, but you did good back there. That woman is jealous as hell of you, and she had that smack down coming for a long time. You've come a long way, Radar, and I'm proud of you."

"And this business of me supposedly sleeping my way into the job?" Millie asked.

"That's a load of bullshit," Duke said. "Everyone here knows the governor personally chose you for the job because you stood up to him and made him laugh."

"And me and Steve?" Millie asked.

"There've been rumors flying for weeks about you two," Duke said. "Couple of unhappy guys, but oh well. As long as you two are happy, that's all I care about. What you do off-duty is your business and nobody else's, much less that little cow back there."

"Thank you. Keep your ear to the ground for me about that 'ilio wahine back there?" Millie asked.

"Always," Duke promised. "What I know, you'll know."

"Thanks, 'Anakala," Millie said.

"You know what that means, right?" Duke asked, grinning at her.

"Hopefully Uncle, if that damn Hawaiian word app is right," Millie said.

"I love that thing!" Brody chirped up.

Chris just rolled his eyes and shook his head in amusement.


	59. Chapter 59

**Chapter 59**

"What did you find?" Brody asked Lou, Chin, and Kono. Millie had gone into the kitchen while everyone else, sans Danny and Steve, were at the computer table.

"Millie was right about one thing; Pickerson loves women," Chin said, bringing up Pickerson's bank statements. "He was spending at least a grand a month at a well-known strip club."

"Any idea where he was getting that kind of money?" Chris asked.

"It looks like he was getting a regular paycheque from an account we traced back to Lydiatt," Chin said.

"And this isn't even his main account. We found it because Agent Pugh found the banking app on his cellphone."

"Nice," Brody said.

Millie rejoined them, an ice pack on her right hand. "What happened to you?" Lou asked.

"Got into an argument with Officer Prolux again," Millie said.

"Is that what you call it?" Chris asked incredulously. Millie just shrugged.

"Who won?" Chin asked.

"I did. Sam was right about the steel-toes," Millie said. "And I think I broke her nose."

"No think," Brody said. "You did. Got blood all over her fancy suit."

"Yeah?" Chris asked.

"Yup," Brody said.

Chris clicked his tongue. "Blood's a bitch to get out of that kind of material. She's gonna love her dry cleaning bill."

"Sweet," Kono said, grinning.

_Men In Black_ started playing on Millie's cellphone, and she took it out. It was a text message from Duke.

"_Men In Black_?" Chin asked, raising an eyebrow. "Seriously?"

Millie shrugged. "Duke likes it," she said, reading the message. "And Officer Prolux is Officer No-More. She just lost her job on charges of disorderly conduct and failure to obey an order."

"Disorderly conduct I can see, but failure to obey an order?" Chris asked.

"She was IA, and tried to go after me over my title, which was given to me by Governor Denning, himself, and endorsed by these guys," Millie said, working on a reply. "She also loudly questioned my rather large inheritance from my grandmother, which I've sat on for several years."

"Why would she do that?" Brody asked.

"Because my biological mother is a Grade-A bitch who resented the fact that I got what she felt was rightfully hers?" Millie asked.

"Anyway, I proved the money was legit, and when she continued to harass me, she was ordered by both the governor and the chief of police to lay off and leave me alone. As you can see, she didn't."

_Men In Black_ played again. "Duke says she tried to claim I started the fight, but the problem is there were too many witnesses that say she started it by verbally confronting me," Millie said, reading her screen.

"She did at that," Chris said. "Why does she think you got your job under the table?"

"Because I've been an Administrative Assistant for HPD for seven years. The governor crosses my path once, and suddenly I'm the Administrative Assistant for one of the best task forces in Hawaii," Millie pointed out, sending Duke a reply before putting her phone away. "Not only that, but I'm on the job for a month, month and a half, and suddenly I'm an officer with a badge and a gun and the same kind of authority as the rest of the team? Not bad for a mere secretary."

"Top that off, in the six years we've been here, she's the first and only administrative assistant we've ever had, and Steve's kicked himself a few times for not having her sooner," Chin said.

"How'd it go with Sam last night?" Kono asked.

"Lunkhead tried to growl at him," Millie said.

"Uh-oh," Lou said.

Millie grinned in memory. "He was on the back of the couch, where he usually is these days. Sam went down to his level, looked him square in the eye, and growled right back at him. Then he hissed at him. Perfect imitation of a cat."

"What did Lunkhead do?" Kono asked, eyes wide.

"Ears went back, eyes went wide, and he backed off in a hell of a hurry. Very much the 'what the hell?' thing. Left Sam alone for about an hour then came near him when Sam offered him some of his fish. We're not at the buddy-buddy stage yet, but Lunkhead has apparently decided not to go after his ankles. Eless, not so much."

"Of course," said Chin, more than familiar with Eless's sneak attacks.

"Anyway, getting back on track," Millie said. "What else did you guys find?"

"Pickerson has a second cellphone and he's been burning up the lines with messages to and from Lydiatt," Kono said, bringing up the messages.

"Looks like Lydiatt has a real hate-on for authority figures," Brody said, reading the messages. "And Pickerson hated the fact that the bad guys made more money than him, but he worked twice as hard. He also resented the fact that his boss was a woman who was above him, instead of under him, preferably in his bed."

"Sexist prick," Millie said. "So what do those two have in common?"

"Pickerson knew how to make very good quality plastic explosives, a recipe he promised to share with Lydiatt, in exchange for V.I.P. access to a club owned by one of Lydiatt's friends," Kono said. "Guess what the main attraction was?"

"Of course," Brody said.

"Lydiatt was also very heavily into weapons, particularly guns. Pickerson made several shipments of due-to-be-melted guns disappear," Kono said. "That was how Pickerson was making his money, and how Lydiatt was probably making his. He even taught Lydiatt how to change the rifling inside the gun barrels so the weapons couldn't be traced back to anyone."

"I'm starting to hate this guy," Chris said.

"I already do," Millie said.

"Where's Sam?" Lou asked.

"Getting his gear together," Millie said. "Should be joining us shortly." The _Mythbusters_ ringtone went off on her cellphone and she dug it out, glancing at her screen. "Scratch that, he'll be here in five."

"Which one was that?" Lou asked.

"_Mythbusters_," Millie said. "They made a concrete mixer truck blow up while testing a myth involving concrete, the mixer truck, and a stick of dynamite, I think. Sam saw that and has loved the show since." She shrugged. "His dream is to build something for Adam and Jamie, and then help them blow it up, like the water heater explosion myth."

"I wondered if that was possible," Chin said, grinning.

"If you take away or damage all the safety features on the heater, then yeah, it is possible," Millie said. "Based on what happened, that kind of explosion can punch through at least two or three floors, and without warning."

Lou's eyes went wide. "I'm checking my heater when I get home."

"Good idea," said Sam, joining them, looking pleased with himself. Today, he wore slacks and a nice short-sleeve dress shirt that did nothing to hide his muscular arms. He carried a leather brief case bag in one hand. "It never hurts to have anything like that inspected at least once a year. Do the same with your breaker panel to make sure it's up to code." He glared at the picture of Lydiatt on the screen. "I'm ready when you are to go after this prick."

"You got your gear?" Chin asked.

"I do," Sam said, holding up his bag. "There's a truck sitting beside Blackbird that has my name on the registration. Thing's battered all to hell, but it works." He glanced at his sister. "Who did you hit this time?"

"Prolux. Long story," she said.

"Understood. Coffee and details later," he said.

Millie and Sam had spent the evening catching up with each other and Sam was beginning to realize and appreciate the job that Millie did. He was also beginning to like this woman who was his sister. Whatever his mom and brother had said about her, they were way off-base or deserved what had happened to them, he decided later. You just _do not _hit a badge-carrying member of the police force, especially not one with the kind of authority Five-0 had, daughter or not!

"As soon as Steve and Danny get back, we'll get you set up," Chin said. "What's your story?"

"New contractor looking for business," Sam said.

"Patton finished his backstop," Chris said, holding up a flash drive. He handed it to Chin, who plugged it into the computer. "Sam Bryant, contractor and master carpenter extraordinaire. Licensed building inspector. No connection to Millie. He only had your old phone number, but said you can use the excuse of having just come to the island."

"I can create a business card on my computer in a few minutes flat, if need be," Millie said.

"Thought you might say that," Sam said, reaching into his bag and withdrawing a package of Avery Business Card paper and handing it to her.

"Good idea," Chin said.

"Do it," Steve said, joining them alongside Danny. He glanced at his girlfriend. "Who did you hit?"

"Prolux. You'll have the report on your desk in about an hour," Millie replied.

"Was it deserved?" Danny asked.

"Considering she accused me of sleeping my way onto the job, I'd say so," Millie said.

"That's a good reason," Danny said.

"How did it go with the cold case?" Chin asked.

"Kid showed us a bunch of e-mails from a buddy of his, bragging about the murder," Steve said. "Said the victim put up a real good fight and it was a real turn-on and he's itching to do it again."

"Can you get the bastard?" Sam asked.

"Not here, no," Steve admitted.

"What's the problem?" Kono asked.

"The problem is the sick son of a bitch is in college on the Big Island," Danny said.

"First chance I get, I'll call the Hawai'i police and forward them the case and ask for help," Steve said.

"You focus on this case, and I'll call them," Millie said. "Just give me the information and I'll take care of the rest."

"Thanks," Steve said, tossing her a small flash drive.

Chin quickly brought the two men up to date.

"Okay, Millie, if you can do up those business cards, we'll get Sam geared up," Steve said.

"Fine. Sam, I need your new number," Millie said.

Fifteen minutes later, they were good to go. Steve and Danny had been given the details about Millie's punch-up with Prolux and the subsequent firing. Millie had contacted the Hawai'i police department and located a homicide detective willing to help them with the case, and managed to print up some business cards for Sam that would pass muster.

The plan was for Sam to try and get in as a building inspector and contractor looking for work. If he could get in, he was to poke around and ask as many questions as he could, to try and locate either Lydiatt, or try and figure out what was going on. He was hooked up to a camera disguised as glasses and would have a Bluetooth cellphone headset in his ear that would be tied into them. His truck carried nothing but his standard carpentry and inspection-related tools in a tool bag, borrowed from a contact of Millie's. Because of his cover, he would not be able to carry any sort of gun or knife, other than the standard utility knife, but assured Millie that a hammer in the hands of the right person could be just as deadly a weapon as a knife or gun, especially since his was made out of solid steel, and he had the muscle to go behind the swing.

"That is not going to just give someone a bruise; that is going to shatter the bone," Steve assured Millie, who had expressed concern about sending Sam in unarmed. "Trust me, he's armed, and they don't even know it."

"Fine," Millie said. "Doesn't mean I'm not going to worry."

"Wouldn't expect anything else from you," Steve said, smiling at her.

"And if he finds the evidence, then what?" Millie asked.

"Then we get Sam out of there and bring Lydiatt down," Steve said.

Fifteen minutes later, Sam was pressing the buzzer on the gate speaker.

"_What?_" someone barked.

"Sam Bryant. I'm a certified house inspector and would like to offer you a free building inspection," Sam said easily.

A moment later, the gate swung open and Sam drove forward.

"Two floors, possibly a third," Sam commented. "Possibly an attic, and more than likely a basement. Nice bikes out front." He parked his truck and grabbed his bag and metal clip board that contained all the necessary paperwork. "And away we go."

"_Be careful,_" Steve said.

"As careful as working around live wires when I don't know where the live wires are," Sam promised. He knocked on the large wooden door and a moment later, it was opened. He smiled at the tiny Polynesian woman in slacks and Hawaiian print blouse. "Hi there," he said. "Sam Bryant, building inspector."

She let him in and he stepped inside the large foyer. "Nice place you have here," he said, slowly looking around for the benefit of his viewers. A man appeared, glaring at him. He wore jeans and a shirt and reeked of beer. Sam tried not to sneeze.

"What's this about a free building inspection?" the man demanded.

"I'm new to the island," Sam said. "And I'm a certified building inspector. I'm also a contractor and a master carpenter. In exchange for a free building inspection, I can help you decided if you need repairs or upgrades, or even a simple renovation, in exchange for you hiring me if you do decide to go that route."

The man grunted. "Boss is a little paranoid," he said.

"Aren't we all?" Sam said. "Besides, a good home owner is always a little paranoid, especially when it comes to building inspectors and contractors. Honestly, what would you rather? A little paranoia now that results in knowing what needs to be done now and what can wait, or no inspection and something catches fire or explodes, something that could have been avoided," he coaxed.

"Where would you look?" the man asked suspiciously.

"Everywhere. Anywhere," Sam said. "The advantage to me being both a building inspector and a contractor is I know what is up to code and what isn't, and what can be done to fix it if it isn't. If your pipes are rattling, I can tell you why and who to bring in. If you're having wiring problems, I can tell you what's wrong and, again, who to bring in to fix it."

"What about this thing about permits and all that?" the man asked.

Sam smiled. "Always, always, _always_ get a permit for _any_ work that needs to be done. Call the city and find out. Ask questions, but never, ever take my word for it, or any contractor who tells you that you don't need a permit for this or that. That can screw you over six ways on a Sunday morn."

"And the inspection is free?" the man asked.

"Yes sir."

A moment later, the man grunted. "Fine. Do you want me to come with you?"

"_Hook, line, sucker,_" Lou said in Sam's ear.

Sam held up his metal clipboard and bag. "Up to you, but let me at 'em. I may need access to a stepladder, or I can use the one in my truck, if you don't mind."

"Talk to Kim; she knows where it is," the man said, heading back to wherever it was he came from, leaving him alone with his new companion.

Sam glanced at the small woman. She nodded. "Okay, Kim. Looks like it's you and me. Shall we start in the basement? I find that most house problems start there."

Half an hour into the inspection, Sam was struggling not to sneeze. Kim, initially very quiet around him at first, had begun opening up to him as he turned on the charm. She had shown him the basement, and he'd made note of the breaker panel that was starting to become badly overloaded.

"They need to bring someone in and get this thing re-wired for more voltage, because these fifteen and twenty amp breakers are not going to handle this much power for much longer," Sam said, making a note on his form.

"_Checking to see how much juice this place is pulling in,_" Chin said.

That had been half an hour ago. Now he was near the back of the house and he was struggling not to sneeze. He did anyway.

"I am so sorry, my dear," he said to Kim, who looked at him sympathetically. "Something is tickling my nose and it smells an awful lot like stale beer or bleach, which makes me sneeze like crazy."

Kim nodded and gestured for him to lean close to her. He did so. "Mister Lydiatt, he uses an awful lot of bleach back here," she whispered.

"Do you know why?" Sam asked.

"I do not ask. I only know what I see," she said.

Sam nodded. "Are you afraid of him?"

"He will not hurt me," she said. "He is afraid of my brother, who is Kapu, but he hates all authority with a burning passion. I fear for those who wear the uniform."

Sam scratched his lip. "Do you think you can get me in there?" he asked. "I just want to do my job and see if I can figure out why that breaker is becoming overloaded. Bleach isn't flammable, but if it heats up, the chemical reaction is not pleasant to be around, and I don't want that for you."

Kim studied him for a moment, and he got the feeling she was looking into his soul. Then she nodded. "I will help you." She lead him to the door and he noticed it was padlocked. "Mister Lydiatt does not know it but I have the key. I am smart like that. They think that because I am small and I am quiet, I do not listen or see, but I do."

"You are very smart, my fair lady," Sam said, ignoring the snickers in his ear. "I know someone who is like you. She is small and quiet, but she's very smart, smarter than most people give her credit for, myself included. It was a lesson I learned; it's the quiet ones who will change the world. The loud ones just take all the credit."

"A valuable lesson indeed," Kim said, unlocking the door. "You must hurry, though. I do not know where Mister Lydiatt is, and I do not trust his friends."

"I'll hurry, I promise," Sam said. "Where is Mister Lydiatt, anyway?" He entered the room, and started sneezing. He reached into his bag and pulled out a multi-purpose respirator, putting it on before continuing his inspection.

"I do not know; he comes and goes," Kim said. "If there is a problem, I call him on his cellphone, or I speak to one of his fat pua'as."

"Pua'a?" Sam repeated, eyes going a bit wide.

"_Hawaiian for pig,_" Chin said, a grin in his voice. "_It's an insult, given that there are feral pigs on the island and they're a nuisance._"

"Pig," Kim explained. "It's my pet name for his so-called rutting friends."

"Ouch, the lady doth have a sharp blade indeed," Sam said, grinning. "Uh, guys," he mumbled quietly, eyes going wide as he spotted something. "I think we have a problem."

"_I think we do too,_" Steve said.

Sam was staring at a building plan for Five-0 Headquarters that had been pinned to the wall, building plans Lydiatt had no business having.


	60. Chapter 60

**Chapter 60**

They had a very serious problem, Millie realized. She grabbed her cellphone and speed-dialed Steve's number, while getting out her gun and making sure it was loaded. She had been reaching for a pen that had gotten away on her when she'd spotted someone going past her office. A quick poke outside her office had her diving for her cellphone.

"_Yeah, Millie?_" he asked.

"Tyler Lydiatt is here, trying to pose as a maintenance man," Millie said. "I don't know how the hell he got in."

Steve swore. "_Sam found a building plan for Headquarters. We're on our way._ _Does he know you're there?_" he demanded.

"Not yet." Her hands shook as she grabbed two extra clips and stuck them in her back pocket.

"_Can you see what he's doing?_"

"It looks like he's inspecting the lighting and the computer table, but if I know this guy the way we know him, if he has his way, Five-0 will have fireworks where we're not supposed to have fireworks," Millie said.

"_Do you think you can handle him?_" Steve asked.

"I'm about to find out," Millie said. "Call for backup please, preferably plainclothes, and preferably acting like family. I'm going to see if I can somehow activate the computer monitor cameras; the prosecuting offices just _loves_ video evidence. Then find out how the hell he got past the front desk!"

"_Understood,_" Steve said, ending the call. "_Be careful."_

"Aloha au ia 'oe," Millie said.

"_You too, but say that to me again, in person,_" Steve said, ending the call.

Millie took a deep breath and felt an unfamiliar calmness come over her. She was the daughter of a cop and came from a family of cops. Their blood was her blood. There was a job to be done, and it was time to do it. Steve didn't know it, but she and Kono had been training for weeks for a situation like this. Now it was time to put theory into practice.

She moved quietly, thanking her runners, and came around the corner, raising her gun as she did. He had his back to her and was up on a ladder, working on one of the overhead fluorescent lightings. Watching him closely, she quickly accessed the video camera on the computer and then quickly moved away to a wall corner, making sure that if Lydiatt did start shooting, she would have some cover.

"Hey goofball, get down from the ladder and let's see those hands." Lydiatt froze. "I doubt very much you have a gun because I doubt very much you could have gotten past the front desk otherwise," Millie said. "Hands, now."

"I don't have a gun, little girl, but I do have the detonator," Lydiatt said, slowly turning around and raising his hands. A simple remote detonator was in his hand. "All I have to do is hit this nice little button and this whole place goes boom." He smiled nastily as he extended the antenna.

"Really? You're going to use that threat against me?" she asked. "Let me guess how this goes. You threaten to hit that button unless I let you walk out of here. Sadly for us, once you're out of range of the bomb blast, you hit the button anyway and we all say hello to Kanaloa, if you subscribe to the Hawaiian teachings, or Saint Peter, if you don't. And that just if we're not so lucky to be out of the area. Sound about right?" she asked.

Lydiatt smiled. "You're not stupid, are you?"

"Long way from it, darling," Millie said. "You, on the other hand, not so much."

"Oh yeah?" Lydiatt demanded.

"If you were smart, you would have cleared this floor first, but you didn't, and here we are," Millie said.

"You're not a cop," Lydiatt snarled. "You wouldn't dare shoot me; you don't have the guts."

"I'm Five-0, asshole, and this is my building and my people you're threatening," Millie said. "I dare a lot of things."

"You shoot me and this whole place explodes," Lydiatt said. "I've got a pound of the stuff wired to your precious computer table."

"My precious computer table? Seriously?" Millie repeated. "And what happens if we still manage to go after you?"

"You can't touch me," Lydiatt boasted. "I have an ace in the hole, and you can't even touch him."

"Are you talking about Special Agent Chase Pickerson, of the DEA?" Millie asked. Lydiatt's face went a bit pale. "We know about him and we're such good friends. He told us everything about you, and about your hatred of us. We also have you tied to Special Agent Bruce Wilson. That pretty petty officer you murdered and tried to make look like he did? That was his step-sister, you moron." She saw two plainclothes officers, a male and a female, both of whom had brown hair like her, slowly approaching Lydiatt, guns drawn, but unfortunately, Lydiatt saw them too.

"You bitch," he hissed. "I wasn't prepared to die for you losers, but since that's the way you want to play..."

Millie fired.

Lydiatt fell to the floor, screaming in pain and holding his wrist, a wrist that was now permanently shattered because of the nine millimeter bullet Millie had just sent through it.

"You crazy bitch!" he yelled.

"I have to be," Millie said, carefully approaching him, the other two officers joining her. She kept her weapon at the ready, but when he made a desperate grab for the detonator, she fired again.

Lydiatt screamed, holding his shattered knee, while the female plainclothes officer grabbed the detonator.

"Never assume that just because I'm not a cop, that I won't shoot to protect what is mine," Millie said. Something caught her attention and she looked up in time to see someone else in a maintenance uniform making a dive for the female officer.

Before anyone could stop him, he had sucker-punched the officer, grabbed the detonator, and was running for the door, desperation on his face. Millie and the male officer put a round through his shoulder that stopped his flight and he went tumbling to the ground, but when he didn't let go of the detonator, Millie fired again, destroying his knee.

"Grab that damn thing!" Millie yelled at the male officer, who dove for the detonator, while Millie covered her victim. "Are you really that willing to die today?" she demanded to the bleeding and moaning man.

"Fuck you, bitch," he moaned. "Death to cops."

"Not today," the male officer said, holding up the detonator.

"You got that damn thing now?" Millie asked.

"Yup," the officer said, just as Steve and everyone else burst through the doors.

Steve stared at her, eyes wide.

"Are you okay?" he demanded.

"I'm fine, but I need to call for an ambulance," Millie said. "Lydiatt has two bullets in him, and this dork isn't much better," she said, tucking her gun into her pants, and heading for the computer table.

"You can't prove anything!" Lydiatt yelled. "It's your word against ours!"

"Actually I don't have to prove anything," Millie said, tapping a few keys on the table. Lydiatt watched in horror as the events of the last few minutes replayed themselves on the main screen. "The only thing I have to do is call for assistance, and send this over to the District Attorney's office."

"I've already got the bomb squad on the way," Kono said.

"Ambulance is on the way," Lou said, coming to join them with their First Aid kit. Thanks to Millie and Steve, it was a bit better stocked that the average First Aid kit.

"Okay, good. Why the hell isn't there more people up here with you two?" Millie demanded to the two plainclothes officers.

"Someone called in a bomb threat," the woman said, accepting the ice pack Kono handed her. "A large unmarked package was discovered on the opposite side of the building, sitting in a truck that's parked right next to the building."

"Right, and everyone goes running thataway," Danny said, "leaving Headquarters alone and letting Tom and Jerry walk in with little problem."

"And walk out with us having a bigger problem," Chris said, helping Lou tend to the injured second man.

"Too bad they didn't count on you. Nice shooting," Brody said, who was helping Chin with Lydiatt, with the assistance of the male plainclothes officer.

"Thanks," Millie said. "Now, if you'll all excuse me, I need some coffee."

She headed for the kitchen, and, after a glance at Danny, Steve followed her. He watched as she poured herself a cup of coffee, her hand shaking.

"How are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm fine," she said, flashing him a tight smile.

"Liar," he said gently, coming over to her. He made her put down her cup, and then drew her against him, holding her tightly.

"Yup," she said, trying not to cry.

"Maybe you should think about taking the rest of the day off," he suggested, tucking her head under his chin. "Spend some time with Sam."

Millie grunted. "I'm fine," she tried again.

"Shooting someone for the first time, that's a pretty big deal," he said. "Even if you weren't shooting to kill. Plus there's that little dust-up you had earlier. "

"Can't seem to stop shaking," she admitted. And she was shaking, like she was freezing, but she wasn't cold.

"Adrenaline rush," he said, rubbing her back, feeling the tension there. "It's a bitch, and it can take a bit of time to come down from it, but you will. Give yourself time."

She grunted. "Didn't feel the same as when I went after Prolux. No rush there."

"Did you think you were in any danger with her?"

"No. Felt more like a training session than an actual fight, and that was a joke in itself. But this business with Lydiatt, it was different."

"Because it _was_ different. Your life was on the line and you were walking into an unknown situation. That's a whole 'nother thing, sweetheart. Good shooting, by the way. Why didn't you shoot to kill?"

"Because we need answers, and last I checked, cell service Upstairs sucks," she replied.

"There is that," he said, grinning. "Go home. You're going to want to take a hot bath because if you're shaking like this now, you're going to be hurting in a bit, and a hot bath will help with that. There's nothing here that we can't take care of."

"What about Sam?"

"Sam was great," he said. "He got us the evidence we needed and was never in any danger. In fact, he managed to charm the housekeeper into letting him into a locked backroom and that was where he found the building blueprints."

"Think Pickerson provided him that?"

"Must have. Those prints are confidential and he had no business having those."

"If I can get the file number of the blueprints, I can probably figure out where they were supposed to be and how Lydiatt got a copy of them."

"We'll take care of that," Steve said. "You take a break. Don't make me order you," he said when she opened her mouth to protest. She glared at him and he just smiled at her.

"One of these days that glare will actually work," he teased.

"Oh up your nose!"

He laughed and hugged her tightly.

"I love you," she said.

"I love you too. Go home."

"Fine," she huffed. "But I am demanding a very serious hot-and-heavy date in the immediate future!"

"Deal."

Millie went home and the rest of the team and NCIS went after Lydiatt.

Thanks to Sam, they had enough evidence to secure a warrant to search Lydiatt's house. An interogation session involving Brody, Steve, Chris, and Danny broke through Lydiatt's defences.

"So Pickerson knew about Wilson," Steve later told Millie over the phone. He was at home and Millie was at hers, relaxing on her sundeck while Sam had fun in the kitchen. "Agent Pugh assigned Wilson to Pickerson, never knowing that Pickerson was Lydiatt's mole. He had never given her cause to think otherwise. Lydiatt knew Pickerson's weakness was women and he played on that, especially since Pickerson had trouble picking up women as it was."

"But prostitutes and strippers are paid to pay attention to guys," Millie guessed. "So they couldn't turn him away."

"Exactly, which fed his ego. Lydiatt made money moving guns and weapons around, and Pickerson supplied him with the weapons, even teaching him how to alter the rifling so the weapons couldn't be traced back to him."

"Burner guns," Millie said.

"That's one way of putting it."

"What was his problem with us?"

"Authority. Lydiatt has a major hatred of authority and we're a pretty formidable force on the island. We've put a dent in his list of buyers."

"Of course. And Wilson?"

"Wilson started realizing that it wasn't drugs that was the problem; it was weapons. He couldn't find the new pipeline Pickerson supposedly told him about, but he did come across Lydiatt and his guys, and when he wouldn't back off, Pickerson told Lydiatt about him and Lydiatt had him killed."

"What about Petty Officer Brimby?"

"Pickerson found out about Brimby but didn't know about the relationship between them. He told Lydiatt, who sent one of his guys to New Orleans to take care of her and make it look like it was Wilson. He didn't specifically tell the guy to rape Brimby, but didn't care about the fact that she had been."

"Bastard. Did you get a name?"

"We did. HPD is chasing after him now and as soon as we have him, he'll be sent back to New Orleans."

"Bet Meri and Chris are happy about that."

"Oh they are, very much so. Then Danny put his foot in his mouth," Steve said, grinning.

"Okay."

"Upshot of it is tomorrow morning, it's going to be guys verses girls in a paintball match."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously. Me, Danny, Chin, Lou, and Chris verses Brody, Cath, and Kono. Don't know how much of a fair fight that's going to be. Kono said she called you and asked if you wanted in, but you apparently said no."

"I did. Too much to do and after today, I'm taking it easy for a while. Besides, I think they'll surprise you," Millie said easily.

"You know something, don't you?"

"I know a lot of things, what's your point?" she shot back.

What Steve didn't know was that Millie already knew about the paintball fight. Kono had called her a few minutes earlier and begged for help. Then they had concocted a plan via text messaging. Millie would be their secret weapon and the boys would never know what hit them. Tomorrow morning, the boys were going to get their asses handed to them and the girls were going to enjoy every minute of it.


	61. Chapter 61

**Chapter 61**

Steve grunted as he was hit in the thigh and knee by paint pellets from who he thought was Kono, before making it around the safety of a tree.

The problem was, he wasn't so sure. Ever since the game had started, the women had been going so fast, none of the guys had been able to keep up. He had narrowly avoided a few head and chest shots, which would have put him out of the game, as per the rules.

Chin joined him, paint on his upper arm and thigh. Danny was beside him, also sporting paint marks on the non-critical parts of him.

"I'm starting to think we underestimated the girls," Danny huffed.

"Same here," Chin said.

Before Steve could reply, they heard a loud yell and a crashing noise from what sounded like Lou, followed by cursing.

"Lou!" Steve called.

"I'm out! I just got ambushed!" the Chicago native called back. He appeared a moment later, bright yellow paint on his chest. "The girls aren't fighting fair," he groused. "I just got slapped by a branch then nailed."

"You never said we had to fight fair!" a female voice shouted, laughter in her voice.

A split second later, Danny's head snapped back and he fell back as a paint ball hit him in the head.  
Steve and Chin ducked, searching the woods, but their attacker was gone.

Danny groaned, sitting up. "Sneaky but mean," he said. "See you back at the staging area."

He and Lou limped off.

"Where does that leave us?" Chin asked.

"I know Cath is out; Chris and Lou caught her in a cross-fire," Steve said. "Danny and Lou are out, but I haven't seen Meri or Kono or Chris-"

There was a crashing noise a few yards ahead, and then they heard Chris yell.

"I'm out!"

"Scratch that," Chin said.

"Two for two," Steve said. He spotted something and raised his paintball gun. "Maybe not." It was Meri, moving quickly through the woods. "Go around, catch her on the side," he told Chin, who nodded and took off.

Using a pincer attack, they were able to ambush the NCIS agent, catching her in the front and the back.

"I'm out!" she called, laughing.

"That just leaves Kono," Chin said. "And I know how she moves."

"That's what you think!" a female voice shouted. Both Chin and Steve ducked, and just in time, as paintballs exploded on a nearby tree.

Someone darted out from behind a tree and Steve brought his paintball gun up, tracking the figure but not firing.

Chin took off, intent on going around Kono and ambushing her, but then he saw her dart another way, and he ducked behind a tree. For the next two minutes, he and Steve played cat-and-mouse with Kono, when he was suddenly struck in the chest by three paintball rounds he hadn't seen coming.

"I'm out!" he shouted. "Nice one, Kono!"

Kono smiled from a few yards away. Now the game was really on, and Steve didn't even know it. The only ones who did were the other women.

Her companion appeared, code-named Alice, from _Resident Evil: Extinction_ and _Afterlife_. Alice was dressed exactly like Kono, right down to the mask and helmet that was covering their hair and faces. They had played this game before, and worked well together.

"Trap is set," Alice said, voice muffled.

"We have to be careful. He fights dirty, and right now, it's just him," Kono said.

"I know. Nice shot on Chin."

"That was beautiful," Kono said, grinning.

"Wasn't it?" Alice perked up, having spotted something. "Here we go. He's being real careful now. Peek and dash?"

"Peek and dash, but be careful. He might figure it out and then the game is up." Kono saw the mischievous gleam in Alice's eyes before she took off, moving quickly and quietly.

Three minutes later, Steve was swearing loudly. Kono had managed to turn the tables on him and he had walked into a banyan vine trap that had strung him up by his legs. He had then been hit by two paintballs to the chest.

"I'm out!" he yelled, thankful that the game had been just that; a game.

"Going down!" Kono said from somewhere. A second later, he was released, and he went tumbling down.

"Nice job, Kono," he said, dusting himself off.

"Wasn't it?"

He headed for the staging area, Kono appearing beside him. They emerged in the clearing a minute later, and everyone was waiting for them.

"Yes!" Brody crowed. Catherine started laughing.

"We got outsmarted," Chris groaned.

"Nicely done, cuz," Chin said, grinning.

"Thanks, cuz," Kono said, emerging from a tree just off to the group, her helmet and face mask off.

Five male heads snapped around, and then snapped back at the figure removing her face mask and helmet beside Steve.

It was Millie.

"What the hell?" Chris said, his eyes nearly falling out of his head.

"I thought you said you were taking it easy today!" Steve said.

"I lied. Kono called me about five minutes before you did and begged. We came up with a plan and the plan was to kick your sorry asses," Millie explained, accepting the bottle of water Brody handed her.

"What you guys don't know is Millie and I have been doing this for a while," Kono said, joining them.

"We started doing it a few weeks after you made me get the gun," Millie said. "We've played the game so often, we've learned each other's moves."

"Last week we went against a group of college boys with more brawn than brain," Kono said. "And we kicked their sorry asses all around the field."

Millie cackled, remembering. "That was so much fun, especially the complete and total utter humiliation on those guys' faces when they realized they'd been outsmarted by two small women."

"And you knew about this?" Steve asked Catherine, who was grinning at them.

"I knew about the paintball thing, but I didn't know how often they practiced until Kono told me," Catherine admitted.

"And because Kono and Millie are roughly the same height and wearing the same gear, it's hard to tell them apart," Brody said, grinning. "That was the most fun I've had in a long time."

"And you guys owe us lunch," Millie said.

"I've been invited by one of the SWAT instructors to do a lecture," Lou said as they headed back to their respective vehicles. "Guess what ladies? Care for a repeat demonstration on a bunch of arrogant SWAT wannabe's?"

Kono glanced at Millie who shrugged. "Sounds like fun to me," Kono said.

"Same, but the rules get changed," Millie said. "If you want us to do that, we get to throw everything we have at them."

"And you don't tell them there's two of us," Kono said.

"Got it," Lou said.

"Why do I feel sorry for those guys?" Chris asked.

"Because if today was any indication, those guys are about to get their underwear pulled over their head and tied in a knot," Danny said.

"I think we need to review those _Home Alone _movies," Millie said absently.

"I think they're available on Netfix," Kono said easily, already thinking of several ideas.

"You're scaring me," Danny said.

"Good. Imagine how much fun we're going to have when we go after the SWAT trainees," Kono said.

_A week later:_

_Snap!_

Parker and Swanson let out a muffled yell as a black rubber resistance band snapped up from the floor and caught them between the legs, sending them up and then down onto the floor with bone-jarring thuds. The rubber band had been artfully hidden in a cut in the dark carpet in a dark room and a simple fishing line, hit by Parker, had triggered the trap.

"_Congratulations, gentlemen_," Lou said in their ear. "_You just lost your balls and your life._"

"What was that?" Swanson moaned, holding his groin.

"_In reality, that was a rubber resistance band. In theory, a garrotte wire,_" Lou said. "_Join the rest of the dumbasses out here with us, please_."

"Yes, sir," Parker groaned, managing to get up off the floor without puking.

Outside, waiting for them, were Lou and Captain Shane Fillion, their training instructor. Behind them, taking off their helmets and face gear, were the rest of their team; Officers Dawson, James, and Pua. Also watching on the computer monitors were three men they didn't recognize, dressed in office casual and wearing gold badges and weapons on their hips.

"Who's left?" Parker asked.

"Keala and Cameron," Fillion said.

"Do you have to?" Lou asked someone they couldn't hear, before heading over to a large tarp-covered airbag and pulling at it so it was below the second story window. "True. Done," he said.

"_We've got the suspect_," Keala reported. Suddenly he and Cameron yelled in pain.

"No, you don't," Lou said.

Two seconds later, there was a crashing and shattering noise as someone went through a window and fell, screaming, to the airbag below.

"What the hell just happened?" the officer demanded, shaking his numb arms and hands. His name tag said Cameron.

"Shock knives," Lou said. "Highest setting. Plus you just got tossed out a window."

"Jezus Christ," Cameron swore, scrambling off the airbag.

"And you're both dead," Lou said. "Come on out, Keala."

A moment later, a stumbling officer in full SWAT gear joined them.

"What the hell just happened?" James demanded.

"What just happened?" the blonde guy with the badge asked, arms folded across his chest and grinning at them. "What just happened is you all just got yourselves killed."

"How?" Dawson asked, wiping off banana cream pie off his face gear. "We followed procedure!"

"Did you?" the Asian man asked.

"Come and meet your adoring public," Lou said to someone.

A moment later, two figures dressed in completely in black appeared from the house. They wore cargo pants, loose sweatshirts, gloves, tactical face masks, tactical helmets, yellow safety glasses, and runners. Around their thighs were weapon holsters, holding guns and shock knives. Both figures were similar in size, shape, and height, with their loose clothing and protective head and face gear making it hard to determine if they were male or female.

"Two of them?" James demanded, staring.

"It seems to me you forgot the most important rule of breaching a residence," Lou said.

Cameron was the one who clued in first. "Never, ever assume there is just one suspect," he groaned. "We had the suspect arrested, but we got grabbed from behind."

"Exactly," Lou said.

"And they're about to add insult to injury," the man with the tattoos on his biceps said, grinning, watching as the two suspects removed their face and head gear.

"Gentlemen, please meet Officers Kono Kalakaua and Millie Phelps, Five-0 Taskforce," Fillion said. "With me are Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett, and Detectives Chin Ho Kelly and Danny Williams, also with Five-0."

"You just got your asses handed to you by two small women," Lou said. "And Millie is our administrative assistant, not a cop."

"That was not fair," James snapped.

"Is it?" Millie asked. "You walked in there assuming there was only one suspect and no idea of the building layout. That was your first mistake. But your biggest mistake was not asking for details. You just geared up and went charging in. You didn't even look down at the floor, for crying out loud! That was how we nailed half of you!"

"The pie thing," Dawson realized.

"Better than a railroad spike," Kono said.

"The resistance band?" Parker asked.

"Case a few years back, a polo player literally lost his head," Chin said. "Garrotting wire can cut through a body like butter at high speed, especially if the wire's deliberately been sharpened."

"Paint cans were bombs?" Pua guessed, while Parker and Swanson swallowed hard at the mental images.

"Or hand grenades with the pins removed, or a spiked mace," Millie said. "Take your pick. The worst part is, it's real easy to do."

"And the beer being dumped on me?" James demanded, still sore about the whole thing. "What the heck was that?"

"Some years back New York City got hit with a serial arsonist who liked to set people on fire by means of a balloon filled with combustible liquids and a trip wire. One of the victims was the Chief of the FDNY. That little booby trap killed him and injured dozens of others in the process," Millie said. She watched as his face went pale. "Except for the combustible liquid, we used the exact same method of distribution. Amazing what a phone call to the head of the New York City crime lab can do, huh?"

"The paint cans reminded me of that _Home Alone_ movie," Pua admitted. "And hurt just as much as it looked."

"We've known about you guys for a week," Kono said. "It took us a day to set this up. Real drug dealers have weeks, even months, to arm their stash houses."

"None of you even got near the stash room," Millie said. "It was the room at the end of the hall."

"What would have happened?" Cameron asked.

"If you hadn't disengaged the line at the bottom of the door, you would have gotten punched by a boxing glove that had a pretty strong spring behind it," Kono said. "We tested it on Lou yesterday."

"Yeah?" Danny said, grinning. "How did that go?"

Lou took off his sunglasses and glared. He was sporting a nasty shiner. "It went."

"The point of this, gentlemen, is we didn't hurt you as badly as we could have," Kono said, ignoring the laughter and the winces of sympathy. "You should have backed out of the house the moment you were hit with the first trap, but you didn't, and in the end, you paid. You didn't take the traps seriously and you didn't take _us_ seriously, which makes me wonder if you really are ready to be SWAT."

"Your arrogance cost you your dignity today," Millie said. "The next time, it could cost you your lives, or the lives of your team members. Think about it."

The sullen and contemplative looks on their faces said they were.


	62. Chapter 62

**Chapter 62**

"Okay, I'll get in touch with Judge Calkins, see what I can find out. He may be in a better mood than Old Man Schmidt," Millie said.

"_Old Man Schmidt was born grumpy_," Kono grumbled over the phone. She was at Headquarters, while Millie was still at home, waiting for Sam to finish getting dressed and ready. He would be dropping her off and borrowing Blackbird for the day to do some job and house hunting, as his truck was in the shop for some minor repair work.

"Could that have anything to do with the nice little tackle you and Chin did that landed him face-first in a mud puddle?" Millie asked dryly.

"_That wasn't our fault!_" Kono protested, laughing. "_There was a gunman aiming for him!_"

"I'm not saying that was your fault. What I am saying is I'd be a little grumpy too, if my nice suit got covered in mud. Dry cleaning bill is a bitch."

"_How do you know that?_"

"Who do you think fielded the bill the prick sent us?" Millie asked.

"_Oh ouchie. Think we should call him Judge Grumpy Cat instead?_"

"That would be an insult to Grumpy Cat," Millie shot back.

Suddenly, there was a bloodcurdling male scream from the general direction of her bathroom. She glanced up in time to see Elless dragging a towel through the living room, as she took a mouthful of her coffee.

Bad timing.

"You miserable little devil of a fuzzbrained furball! Go after a man's balls, will you?! I'm ah gonna nail your ears to the wall as soon as I get a nail gun!" Sam yelled.

"_Are you okay?_" Kono asked, hearing Millie choking on her coffee while she laughed.

"Think Sam just had his nuts attacked by Elless," Millie finally got out, still laughing. "He's got a real funny scream and Elless just came into the living room dragging a towel. I don't think that was the kind of pussy he wanted near his balls."

"_He won't be singing Jingle Balls, sorry, Jingle Bells, for a while,_" Kono said, giggling.

"Well, his chestnuts are definitely on fire," Millie said.

"_Oh my god, you are so bad_," Kono said, giggling.

"Could be worse; he could have been pecker-fied." Kono started laughing harder. Millie continued. "Want to know what you have when you have a big green ball in your left hand and a big green ball in your right hand?"

"_I'm afraid to ask_," Kono said, giggling.

"The Hulk's complete and total attention," Millie said, giggling.

"_That you would! That you would!_" Kono cackled.

"I'll catch up with you at HQ, after I find out if Sam's nuts are still attached or if I have to make an appointment with a doctor for him," Millie said.

"Catch you later, sistah," Kono said, still giggling as she ended the call.

"Hey, we're up. Everything okay?" Chin asked, sticking his head in her office.

"Oh, I'm fine. Sam, not so much. I think he nearly had a vasectomy via kitty claws!" Kono said, giggling again. "Millie said Sam has a real funny scream and she doubted that was the kind of pussy he wanted near his balls."

Chin's eyebrows shot up and he started laughing. "Not a good way to start the morning."

"Nope, especially since Elless was seen dragging a towel."

"Oh jeeze," Chin groaned. "You are going to be useless for the next few minutes, aren't you?"

"Yup! Sorry, cuz," Kono said, still giggling. She managed to follow Chin to the computer table.

At the team's raised eyebrows at Kono, Chin just shook his head. "Don't get her started," he said. "Trust me; don't."

Things had quieted down after Brody and Chris had left, with promises to keep them posted on how things went on their end of the case in New Orleans.

The court case involving Millie and Moore was rapidly coming up and Steve knew Millie was worried. He had assured her they had more than enough evidence against Moore, and that if he tried to go after either her or Donna, there would be plenty of back-up support.

Moore had finally wised up and gotten a lawyer, who had tried digging in to Millie's past, and even tried bringing in Officer Prolux as a character witness, but that had changed after she'd gotten fired from the HPD.

As for Lunkhead, he'd had his fancy award ceremony and gotten his furry mug plastered all over the local paper, especially when Kono had begun playing with him and he'd responded by going cute on her. The mayor of Honolulu had met him, and so had Governor Denning, with the Chief of Police praising Lunkhead for his courage, not that Lunkhead had cared. He had been too busy sunning himself in the warm sunshine, and then both Millie and Steve had had a bit of a fight on their hands when Lunkhead spotted a dog.

For the moment, Sam was living with Millie until he could find a place of his own, and he was rapidly beginning to understand why his sister had chosen to call Hawaii home. The local and the natives were a bit more laid back, the culture was a bit more relaxed, and as for conservation efforts, it was serious stuff, and he could see why; Hawaii was beautiful.

At the moment, he was at the HSPCA by request from Millie, who was concerned about the structural support of the building, which wasn't able to get proper care due to the tight budget the HSPCA had.

Sam tried not to stare at the dark-haired woman petting the grumpy-looking cat. She probably came up to his shoulders and, from what he could see, had curves in all the right places. He hated stick-figure women who bragged about being a size four or whatever tiny number they thought they should be. No, this lady had meat on her bones, and, when she looked at him, eyes and a smile that turned him into a blithering teenage boy.

"Can I help you?" she asked, a blush staining her face.

"Um, yeah, um, I'm Sam Bryant. Millie Thompson, sorry, Phelps, my, uh, my sister, she asked if I could ah, take a look at some structural problems she said you guys were, um, were having?" he finally managed to get out. "I'm a master carpenter and licensed contractor."

Her face lit up and she smiled. "Wonderful! Millie is a darling, just like this grumpy fellow, when he lets someone near him."

"Has he been here long?" he asked, coming closer and letting the cat sniff his fingers before cautiously petting him. He seemed like a nice cat, but his coat was dull and he seemed kind of sad.

"We've had him back here at least three times, poor fellow," the woman admitted. "He keeps getting dumped."

"That's not fair," he said, feeling sorry for the cat.

"No, it's not, but humans can be cruel at times. I'm just hoping someone will take pity on him and take the time to get to know him. I'm Ashley Byrd, by the way."

"Nice to meet you, Ashley," he said, smiling at her, watching her blush again. "What's his name?"

"We've been calling him Old Man, but personally, I like Gandalf better," she admitted.

"Gandalf, huh? I like that. There's a white wizard under that grey coat of his," he said. And Gandalf did have a grey coat, with a splotch of white on his chest, feet, and face. He also had beautiful amber eyes, Sam thought, even though they looked sad, like he'd given up. Was this how Millie had felt when Janice and Peter had abandoned her after she'd been arrested?

Something tugged at him.

Ashley smiled at him, and he felt his heart speed up; she had a really nice smile, and a really nice-looking mouth, a kissable mouth.

"He's one of my favourites, and I wish I could take him home with me, but my landlord is kind of anti-cat," she admitted. "All I can do is hope someone is willing to take the time and give him a chance."

"Everyone deserves a chance," he said. "If I can help, I will."

"I'll show you the problem areas," Ashley said, reluctantly tearing herself away from Gandalf.

"Sure," Sam said, petting Gandalf one last time before following Ashley out of the room.

There were some minor structural problems with the building, especially the older parts, but Sam realized that what they needed was a proper kitty room and a better storage area.

"We're not government-funded and we rely on donations and public funding, so we have a pretty tight budget," Ashley admitted. "We do what we can, and people like Millie, they make a big difference for us."

Sam thought for a moment, studying his surroundings with a critical eye, ideas coming to him. "Tell you what; let me draw up some plans and get back to you. If you like it, we'll go ahead and get started on it."

"What about paying you?"

"That's my problem," he said. "I'm new to the island, so this will be a good way for me to establish myself and learn my way around." An idea occurred to him. "Is there a high school around here?"

"I think so, yes. Why?"

"One of the biggest problems the trades are facing is lack of skilled workers, because a lot of high school students aren't introduced to the trades. All they know is computers," Sam explained. "That was how I got started, and I've got skills I can use wherever I go, and I don't need to know how to use a computer to do what I do. Plus, volunteer work always looks good on a student's resume."

Ashley smiled, liking this tall, muscular man with the dark hair and kind eyes who could make her blush like a virgin school girl. He had a body that screamed of hard work and made her itch to see if those muscles were as firm as they looked. If he was anything like his sister, with her big heart and gentle hands, then her own heart was about to be in very serious trouble.

She left him to his own devices and came back half an hour later, to discover him petting Gandalf. He didn't see her, but she listened to him talk to the cat.

"You seem like a nice fellow, and I'm new to the island. I could do with a buddy, so I'll tell you what. I'm going to be coming here quite a bit for the next week or two, maybe three, especially once I get the proper permits to build that kitty room for you guys, and fix some of the building problems here. While I'm doing that, what do you say we get to know each other, hmm? You deserve to have a real home, buddy, and I think the best way to do that is to make sure we like each other. I like you, but as I learned through my sister, humans don't pick the cat; the cat picks the human." Gandalf rolled over, exposing his belly for a hopeful belly rub, and Sam grinned, obliging the feline. "I think we're going to get along just fine. Think you could help me woo that pretty lady of yours? If you have a home with me, then she has an excuse to come and visit you, and I have a chance to get to know her, without feeling like I'm back in high school. Whadaya say?" He chuckled when Gandalf started flexing his paws. "I'll take that as yes. Okay, buddy, we have a deal. But I promise you this; no matter what happens with me and Ashley, if you decide you like me, you'll always have a home with me. Always."

And Ashley started falling.

_Later;_

"Ashley wants to know everything I know about Sam," Millie reported to Steve, grinning as she read the IM on her phone, as they snuggled together on his couch. "Including if he's been married or not or what."

Steve smirked. "She's hooked."

"And so is he," she said, when her phone beeped again. "He's asking me about what cats like to eat and so forth, and how should he ask her out."

"Advise him to skip the tie," Steve said, grinning. "This is Hawaii."

Millie giggled.


	63. Chapter 63

**Chapter 63**

Judge Susan Hamilton stared at the muscular man in black jeans and clean dark red short-sleeve work shirt, casually walking down the courtroom aisle, a large tripod brown and black cat on a leash and harness. Around the cat's neck was a gleaming gold medal. Beside the cat, looking at everything thing and everyone, were two kittens about six months old. One was black and white and seemed to have no tail. The other one was pure black and her tail was bobbing mischievously.

It was Day Two, and Ellie Clayton, Prosecuting Attorney of Honolulu, had called Lunkhead to the stand in regards to the case of Hawaii verses Don Moore, who was charged with a number of crimes, including assault of a peace officer, specifically Officer Millie Phelps of Five-0 Taskforce. Yesterday had been filled with witness testimony and evidence presentation from the prosecution, and the defense had done everything he could to either discredit the evidence or plant a reasonable doubt with the judge.

Ellie grinned. "Your Honour, meet Lunkhead and his adopted children, Po and Elless, in the company of Sam Bryant. Lunkhead was recently honoured with a Pet of the Year Award by the Mayor of Honolulu for his bravery in defending Ms. Phelps from Mister Moore."

"Why are the other two kittens with him?" Hamilton asked.

"We've tried separating them, Your Honor, even just to take them to the vet," Sam explained, "and they drive Millie nuts. Either Lunkhead howls or gets in the carrier with them, or the kittens wander around the house, yowling and looking for him. It's just easier for everyone to keep them together. They're pretty good on their leashes."

"What happened to his leg?" Hamilton asked, watching as Sam handed the kittens over to Ellie's assistant, Anna, and picked up Lunkhead and brought him over to her.

"He had to have it amputated due to life-threatening complications arising in the bone that was broken as a result of Mister Moore throwing him," Ellie explained.

"_Allegedly_ throwing him," Jackman inserted. "Your Honour, that cat severely injured my client, permanently disfiguring him and causing undue emotional stress. That cat is dangerous and should be put down before he hurts anyone else." Moore, himself, had healed, but the scars were still nasty-looking and Hamilton found herself wincing every time she looked at him.

Ellie didn't say anything, just watched as Lunkhead turned on the kitty charm with Hamilton.

"What does the Prosecution have to say?" Hamilton asked, scratching Lunkhead's ears and head.

"Mister Moore attacked Officer Phelps. In her defence, Lunkhead attacked him. He was defending the one person he trusted in this world, someone who had taken him in during a lightning storm and shown him nothing but love and kindness," Ellie said. "I have expert witnesses who will testify to his temperament and behaviour around people he doesn't know, to people he does know. In fact, I propose a test."

"Your Honour, this is a waste of the court's time," Jackman protested.

"I will reserve judgement until I know what sort of test is being proposed," Hamilton said.

"Have the bailiff pick a random gentleman from outside the court, and let him introduce himself to Lunkhead. Then bring in someone Lunkhead does know, again a gentleman, and watch what happens. Finally, let Mister Moore introduce himself to Lunkhead," Ellie said. "Let's see how dangerous he really is."

Hamilton thought for a moment, then nodded. "Bailiff, find someone, a male, and bring him here. Simply ask if he's allergic to cats and if he'd like to meet one."

The bailiff nodded and quickly left the courtroom. He reappeared a moment with a man in his mid-thirties, wearing a nice suit and looking a bit nervous. After being sworn in and his name and job said for the record, he was introduced to Lunkhead.

After sniffing the man's outstretched fingers, Lunkhead allowed him to pet him.

"You're a beauty," the man said.

Hamilton nodded, satisfied. "Thank you, sir," she said. "You are dismissed."

The man nodded and left.

"I call Adam Noshimuri forward," Ellie said.

Adam appeared a moment later, looking dignified in a dark blue suit and matching tie, and his face lit up when he saw Lunkhead. He took the stand and was sworn in.

"What is your relation to Officer Phelps?" Ellie asked, watching as Lunkhead wandered over to Adam.

"My wife is Officer Kono Kalakaua, Five-0 Taskforce. We get invited to barbecues at her place every now and then," Adam said.

"Has Lunkhead ever given you cause for grief?" Ellie asked.

Adam chuckled in amazement, scratching Lunkhead's head. "You're kidding me, right? The only grief he's ever caused me is sore ribs from laughing so hard when he stole Captain Grover's steak. Big cat, big steak, bigger uproar, especially for a cat missing a leg. Never seen a cat move that fast. That was _his_ steak!" The judge tried to stifle her snort of laughter, but failed miserably. That didn't stop the laughter from the galley.

"But he's never actually hurt you?" Ellie asked once the laughter died down.

"No. No, Lunkhead has never hurt me. If I get scratched, it's from playing with Elless, not Lunkhead," Adam said.

"Elless?" Hamilton asked.

"Little Shit," Adam explained, pointing to the black kitten. "She's got a mischievous streak. The other one is Po. As far as Millie can tell, they're brother and sister, because Lunkhead brought them to her both at the same time, which was just after she moved into her new house."

"Thank you, Mister Noshimuri," Ellie said, sitting down. "No further questions, Your Honour."

Jackman stood up. "Mister Noshimuri, because of your relationship with Officer Phelps, are you sure you're not prejudiced towards Lunkhead?"

Adam snorted. "Sir, the first time I meet Lunkhead, he glared at me. I felt like I was a little boy being watched by the school headmaster who was sure I would be up to no good. Lunkhead wouldn't let me anywhere near him for the first ten minutes until he decided I was okay, and then he stopped glaring at me. It wasn't until Kono petted him with the same hand that had just been holding mine, that he even let me scratch his ears. He decides who will touch him, not the other way around. You are on his territory; simple as that."

"So you don't believe he's a danger to my client?"

"Only if your client is stupid enough to try and go after Millie again," Adam said, glaring at Moore. "Lunkhead was defending Millie. Plain and simple. And before you try to say _allegedly_, I will remind you that I was there when Commander McGarrett brought her out of her apartment and I watched the paramedics load her into the ambulance. I saw the blood on her face, I saw her arm and her leg, I heard her cry out in pain when the paramedics tried to assess her. _I was there._ I saw the inside of her apartment. I was there as we tried to find Lunkhead and I watched as Detective Williams' daughter calmed him down long enough for CSU to remove blood samples from his claws. Even in as much pain as he was, Lunkhead did not attack any of us. The only person he attacked was your client, and he deserved every bit of misery he got for the hell he put Millie and Donna through. Lunkhead isn't dangerous; he's loyal. There is no doubt in my mind that if it hadn't been for Lunkhead, your client would have either killed her or raped her."

Jackman gulped.

"Any further questions, Mister Jackman?" Hamilton asked, trying not to laugh at the antics of the Twins, who had decided that their leashes made great toys.

"No, Your Honour," Jackman said tiredly.

"Then the witness may step down," Hamilton said.

Adam did so, but not before giving Lunkhead a dried fish kitty treat and doing the same for the Twins.

"May we proceed with the final part of the test?" Ellie asked.

"Your Honour, Mister Noshimuri was just one person," Jackman said. "Who's to say that cat hasn't attacked someone else?"

"Your Honour, I have dozens of pages of witness testimony and affidavits from people who were voluntarily willing to testify as to Lunkhead's character," Ellie said, holding up the file. "Everyone from Ms. Phelps' ex-boyfriends and dates, to members of the Honolulu SPCA, to the governor of Hawaii himself. And Sam Bryant? He's Officer Phelps' brother."

Sam smiled from the galley and stood up, waving gaily. "First time I met him, Your Honour, Lunkhead growled at me. I got down to his level and growled right back at him, then I hissed at him. We've gotten along just fine since."

Hamilton tried not to groan as Ellie handed her the file, and Jackman swallowed visibly.

"Commence with the final part of the test, please," she said.

Sam came back and gently took Lunkhead from Hamilton, flashing the judge a smile that had her blushing, and placing him on the table in front of Moore. He wisely kept a firm grip on his leash. Lunkhead sniffed the air and then started growling. His tail began swishing dangerously and the ears went back. Then he hissed at Moore, yowling angrily. He had not forgotten, and he had, very clearly, not forgiven. If it hadn't been for Sam holding on to his leash, there was a strong likelihood that Lunkhead would have tried to lunge at him. As it was, he tried to take a swipe at him, causing Moore to jump back in fear.

"Point made, Lunkey, point made," Sam soothed, pulling the cat back and petting him. "You don't like him. Okay. We'll take you out of here." He picked up Lunkhead and got the Twins back from Anna.

"I'm satisfied," Hamilton said. "Lunkhead is not dangerous to anyone except Mister Moore."

"Then, in regards to Lunkhead, the prosecution rests," Ellie said.

Jackman sighed heavily. "In regards to Lunkhead, the defense rests," he said. There was nothing else he could do and he knew it. He knew this case was bad from the beginning, but as of right now, it was shot straight to Hell. He looked at Ellie and mouthed, "We need to talk."

"Now what?" Moore growled.

"Now, you have two choices. Ride it out with the judge, or make a deal, because you are done, my friend," Jackman shot. "They have you dead to rights. Lunkhead just freaking sunk you."

Moore glared at him. "That bitch deserved it," he hissed. "I am not going down for what she had coming to her!"

"Is there a problem?" Hamilton asked.

"Just conferring with my client, Your Honour," Jackman said. "I would like to request a recess at this point, please."

"Granted. Court is adjourned for fifteen minutes," Hamilton said, banging the gravel.

Jackman waited until Ellie, Anna, Sam, and the cats were gone. Then he and Moore, in the company of a deputy, headed for an empty conference room provided by the bailiff. Once the door was shut, he turned back to Moore, glaring at him.

"Listen to me and listen good. They have your DNA in Lunkhead's claws, they have your blood in Officer Phelps' apartment, they have video showing you confronting Officer Phelps less than an hour before she was attacked, they even had your ex-girlfriend testify against you! Hell, they even have witnesses who testified they saw you running from Officer Phelps' apartment! We have no evidence to even suggest you two were having any sort of relations, other than antagonistic, and thanks to you threatening to go after Miss Anderson on the stand, we have a very large biker gang behind us, one that just happens to be friends with Five-0! Officer Phelps is not afraid of you and neither is Miss Anderson. There is too much evidence against you for you to be able to walk away from this, and there is nothing I can do. At this point, I don't even think I can get a Reasonable Doubt!"

"What about attacking that bitch's character again?" Moore demanded.

"Did you see the galley, never mind the complete witness list?" Jackman demanded. "There are a dozen cops, at least a dozen civilians, all willing to testify on Officer Phelps' behalf! All of Five-0 is behind her!"

"They would be; she works for them," Moore snarled.

"No, not _for _them, _with_ them," Jackman corrected. "I cannot touch Officer Phelps, and I cannot touch the evidence. None of it is circumstantial. And the fact that you broke into someone's house to care for your injuries instead of seeking proper medical attention, that is a damn big mark against you! Your prints and blood are everywhere there! There is _nothing_ I can do. Plead it out with the D.A. or take your chances with the judge, but I am _done._"

"You sonovabitch!" Moore yelled. "You're hanging me out to dry!"

Jackman suddenly found himself on the table, Moore's hands around his neck. Their yelling and noise attracted the guard and suddenly Moore was off him and he was on the floor, gasping for breath.

As Moore struggled with the guards that were pouring into the room, Moore yelled at him, "You're dead! You hear me, you sonovabitch! You're dead and so is that Five-0 slut! No one tells me no! Ever!"

Fifteen minutes later, Jackman rejoined Ellie and Anna in court.

"Where is your client, Mister Jackman?" Hamilton asked.

"Regretfully, Your Honour, there was an incident during recess," Jackman said hoarsely. "During our conversation, my client attacked me and attempted to strangle me in his anger. He has been remanded back into custody and I am dropping him as my client. I would also like to note he is now being charged with attempted murder and assault, as well as resisting arrest and uttering threats towards both me and Officer Phelps."

"I see," Hamilton said, her brow furrowing. "May I ask what brought on the attack?"

Jackman smiled tightly. "Simply put, Your Honour, I told him his case was screwed. There was too much evidence against him and I advised him to either cop a plea with the prosecutor, or take his chances with you, but I was not even sure I would get even a Reasonable Doubt. He didn't take too kindly to my advice."

Hamilton sighed heavily. "All right. Had your client not attacked you, Mister Jackman, what would you have done?"

"I would have gone to the prosecution and asked for a plea deal. Failing that, I would have rested my case and gone from there," Jackman said.

"Ms. Clayton?" Hamilton asked.

"The prosecution rests," Ellie said.

"Fine. Then court is adjourned and I will make my decision," Hamilton said, banging the gravel again.

It took Hamilton less than an hour to make her decision. In the galley was all of Five-0, Sam, more than a dozen HPD officers in uniform, and a handful of people wearing bright yellow HSPCA Volunteer shirts. There were also men dressed in biker gear, Donna and her family, who were seated between members of Five-0, and a dozen other people in street clothes or office casual. What she couldn't see was Steve gripping Millie's hand, who was gripping his just as tightly. The sad part was, they were all on the prosecution's side. The only people on Moore's side were his family, and they numbered not even half a dozen. Three deputies were standing by in case of a problem, as Hamilton suspected her verdict could be a problem.

"I've had a chance to review the case, and frankly, Mister Moore, I am not impressed," she began. "In addition to the current list of charges brought forth to me by the prosecution, you have added uttering threats, resisting arrest, attempted murder, and aggravated assault to that list. You will deal with those momentarily. As for today, Mister Moore, the charges are as follows; one count of resisting arrest on the day you were originally arrested, one count of aggravated assault, two counts of trespassing, one count of breaking and entering, and one count of assault of a peace officer. Of those charges, I find you guilty of all of them." She winced at the joyful yell that went up on the prosecution's side of the galley. Once the happy noise had died down, she continued, pointedly ignoring the hug Millie had given Steve, a hug that had seemed a bit too intimate for someone who was supposed to be boss and secretary. "Officer Phelps, if you have a Victim Impact statement you would like to make to Mister Moore, now is the time to do so," Hamilton said. She watched as Millie came out of the galley and stepped forward, looking square at Moore.

"My name is Officer Millie Susan Phelps, Five-0 Taskforce," she began. It had taken her several days and nights to write out what she wanted to say and now her hands shook as she looked at her attacker. "I am the daughter of a cop, and I come from a long line of blue bloods. I also work with one of the best taskforces on this island and they are as much a part of my family as I am theirs. What this means, Don, is that the moment you decided to sexually harass a teenage girl, with me standing right behind you, listening to every filthy word that came out of your mouth, is the moment you seriously screwed up." Millie took a deep, shuddering breath, and continued on. "I don't know what the judge will sentence you to, but know this; every time you have a parole hearing, I'll be there. The moment you finish your sentence, I'll be there, waiting and watching. Despite your best efforts to harass and intimidate me in the days leading up to this trial, I still stood up and testified against you. Yes, you attacked me. Yes, you broke my wrist and fractured my arm and inflicted assorted other injuries to me that knocked me for a loop for weeks, but you did not break me. _You. Did. Not. Break. Me. _And you_ never _will_._"

She locked eyes with him, staring at him long and hard, until he finally broke and looked away, and then she nodded at the judge before returning to her seat in the galley.

"I admire your courage, Officer Phelps," Hamilton said. "Mister Moore, while I cannot charge you with sexually harassing a minor, as much as I would like to, I can do this; you are hereby sentenced to no less than five years in jail and you are court-ordered to make restitution to both Officer Phelps for the damage you caused to her apartment, her ensuing vet and medical bills, and to Mister and Mrs. MacLean for the damage you caused to their residence. Do you understand this?"

"Yes ma'am," Moore said sullenly. With three deputies and dozens of others nearby, just waiting for him to do something stupid, he was being careful not to do anything stupid just yet.

"Good. The defendant is to be remanded to custody. This court is now adjourned." She banged the gravel, and then winced again as the cheering and yelling erupted in the courtroom again.

_There's going to be one heck of a party tonight_, she thought, smiling to herself as she left the courtroom. _And maybe that's not such a bad thing._


	64. Chapter 64

**Chapter 64**

Millie had been going for her daily coffee run combo lunch break when she'd noticed the young mother staring at her badge and gun nervously. She'd gotten into the habit of wearing both her badge and her gun when she was on the job, even when she was on her break, after the business with Moore. When she'd noticed the young mother, she'd smiled at her reassuringly, coming over to her and sitting down beside her on the bench.

"People will stare," Steve had once told her. "It's natural curiosity. How you approach them will determine what happens next, especially if it's kids."

"Hi there," she said. "I'm Officer Millie Phelps, Five-0 Taskforce. You have a beautiful baby."

"Thank you," the mother said, ducking her head shyly. "I am Saki, and this is Minako. Her name means _beautiful child_ in Japanese."

"That I agree with," Millie said, smiling down at the baby, who cooed at her from her grey and pink car seat and travel system. "How old is she?"

"Two week. Week early, but very easy birth."

"Yeah? That's good, for both your sakes. Whereabouts are you from?" she asked, noting the accent.

"Minato, Japan. My family came before the earthquake and tsunami destroy our homes."

Millie nodded. The 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami had destroyed a large part of Japan and taken over fifteen thousand lives, with over six thousand people injured, and over two thousand people still missing. "You have my condolences if you lost any family there," she said.

"Thank you. What is Five-0 Taskforce?" Saki asked hesitantly.

"We're a governor-backed state police task force that deals with serious crimes, such as gang-related, military-related, terrorist-related, or in some cases, multi-jurisdiction related," Millie explained, letting her see her badge. "In certain area we have impunity and means, and we work in conjunction with the Honolulu PD and other agencies when our paths cross."

"What about yakuza? Do you cross them?"

"We've had to, and it has gotten ugly, but then again, my team are damn good at what they do," Millie said, accepting her badge back.

"Is Five-0 good? You protect good people?"

"Yes, we try to, and we try to give people a second chance or a fair shake when others won't." Millie tilted her head, studying Saki. "Is there something wrong?" she asked gently. "You're watching the crowd like you're afraid someone is looking for you." Saki ducked her head again and Millie's instincts screamed trouble. "Saki, what's wrong? If I can help you, I will, both of you."

A tear slid down the young woman's face. "I fear for my baby," she whimpered. "I love her very much, and her father, Hideo, he want her as much as he want me, but his family..." She sobbed, putting a shaking hand to her mouth. "He is entry-level yakuza and he does not want to be."

Millie put her arm around the woman and gave her a tight hug. "Listen; come with me, both of you, and I will do everything I can to help you, okay? Just let me get some more coffee and I'll take you straight to Headquarters and my boss. He's a really great guy. Please?"

Nodding reluctantly, Saki wiped her eyes and watched as Millie quickly headed back to the coffee counter for a refill on her coffee, then the moment Millie's back was turned, she ran, her heart breaking with every step she took.

_Better they take her life than the life of her baby..._

When Millie came back, Saki was gone, leaving Minako behind, along with all her baby gear.

_What the hell?_ Millie thought, looking around desperately. But Saki was nowhere in sight. Millie dove for the pretty Minnie Mouse diaper bag that was in the bottom of the travel system and started digging through it, looking for information, something, anything, that would explain what the heck had just happened.

She found a letter in the bag, written on pretty stationary, with what looked like the current date on one corner. There was one big problem; it was written in a language she wasn't familiar with. _Probably Japanese,_ she thought. _The computer table should have a translation program. I hope._ Then: _I hope like hell Rene is home! I don't know the first thing about babies and like hell I'm turning this tyke over to Family Services!_

When Steve and Danny came back an hour later, it was to the sound of drumming music coming from the computer table.

_Hina na ho ho henay  
Hina na ho ho henay  
Indaya hina na ho ho henay  
Indaya  
Hina na ho ho henay  
Hina na ho ho henay  
Indaya hina na ho ho henay  
Indaya_

_Creator  
Of seasons  
Of people  
Of nations_

_Survivors  
Of promise  
A spirit  
Of freedom_

_Hina na ho ho henay  
Hina na ho ho henay  
Indaya hina na ho ho henay  
Indaya_

_Hina na ho ho henay  
Hina na ho ho henay  
Indaya hina na ho ho henay  
Indaya_

That was normal for Millie, but then both men felt their jaws dropping open, then Danny started laughing, and Steve swore his heart stopped.

Millie was dancing around the computer table with a baby in her arms. The baby had dark almond eyes and a head full of dark hair, a pretty pink bow in her hair, and wearing a cute pink dress and diaper cover. She was staring at Millie with wide eyes as Millie sang to her, a fist in her mouth. Millie had a burp cloth over one shoulder, and there was a loaded baby travel system parked nearby.

Then Millie saw the two men staring at her and she nearly went through the ceiling.

"Sonova! Beep, beep, beep!" Millie swore, clutching the baby to her chest, as Rene emerged from the kitchen area, carrying a bottle. She grinned in amusement at Millie and the guys.

"Hi Rene. Umm, Millie, what's going on here?" Steve asked, watching as Millie carefully adjusted the baby in her arms and offered her the bottle Rene handed her. He came over to her, curious about the infant.

"This is Minako. I tried to reach you guys an hour ago, but your phones were off and I remembered you were in court," Millie said, getting the baby to accept the bottle. "So I yelled for Rene, and she's been giving me instructions on baby care." She gestured at the computer table and continued. "I met her mother, Saki, at my favorite coffee shop and we started chatting. I got the impression she was in some kind of trouble, because she asked me if Five-0 was good and I assured her we were. She said Minako's father, Hideo, was entry-level yakuza and didn't want to be. Something about his family. Anyway, I offered to bring her and this kiddo here and try and help her. She said okay, I went to get some more coffee, and she ran, leaving Minako behind."

"And you didn't call Family Services?" Danny asked.

"Like hell," Millie said, glaring at him. "I called Rene and asked for help because I don't know the first thing about babies, and got my ass back here. I found a letter in her diaper bag and guessed it to be written in Japanese, based on what Saki told me, and had they system run a translation program while I try and run names and faces."

"Any luck?" Steve asked.

Millie jerked her head at the table. "You tell me. I've been getting lessons on diaper changing, bottle feeding, burping, holding, and so forth. Plus I yelled at the coffee place to try and get their video."

"What's with the letter?" Danny asked, seeing the paper on the table.

"Based on the translation, it's an introduction and an explanation and a cry for help," Millie said. "Minako's mother's name is Saki Nakano. She and her family came to O'ahu in 2010, just before the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, where they've been living ever since. Minako was born about two weeks ago, to what Saki described as an easy birth. I found her birth certificate in her diaper bag."

"Okay," Steve said, smiling involuntarily as Minako grabbed his finger.

"Saki said Minako's father is this guy, Hideo Watanabe, and he's an entry-level yakuza with family connections," Millie said, tucking the bottle under her chin and tapping the computer table, pulling up a file of a handsome-looking young Japanese man. "The problem is, he doesn't appear to want to be with the yakuza, but Saki said his family is in it and once your family is in, the only way out is by your feet and a six-foot deep hole."

"How did he hook up with Saki?" Danny asked, grinning in amusement at the pair of them.

"They met at a fish market and fell in love. Saki's family has no yakuza connections and no desire to do so. As for Hideo, his family had already selected a wife for him, one with yakuza connections, when he met Saki," Millie explained. "He's too afraid of his own family to break things off with the new soon-to-be-bride and afraid of what will happen if they find out about Minako and Saki. In the letter, Saki pleads with whoever it is that reads the letter to keep her baby safe and to one day let her know she was loved."

"So what are you going to do?" Steve asked.

"Try and find this Hideo Watanabe, bring him in, put his nuts through an old-fashioned laundry wringer, and see what I can find out," Millie said. "And try and figure out how to do this with a baby in tow."

Rene smiled at her. "You'll be just fine. Heaven knows I raised three of them."

"Three? I thought you had two," Danny said, still grinning at the whole situation.

"I'm including Lou in that," Rene said, grinning at him.

"I heard that," Lou said, joining them, scowling affectionately at his wife.

"I know you did, dear."

Steve quickly brought his friend up to speed on the situation, watching as Millie put the bottle down, shifted Minako around, and started patting her back.

"Harder," Rene coaxed. "She won't break."

Millie did so, and a moment later, Minako burped, spitting up sour milk, causing Millie to wrinkle her nose at the smell. "Please tell me that's normal," she said.

"Very normal, and could have been a lot worse," Rene assured her, watching as Millie brought Minako back down and continued feeding her. The baby was showing signs of getting sleepy.

"You're going to need a playpen of sorts for her to sleep in," Rene said. "She can't sleep in her car seat the whole time. You're also going to need more diapers and wipes, and possibly some more clothes."

Millie stared at her, eyes wide, wondering what she'd gotten herself into. "Sam is going to love me, isn't he?"

Danny just grinned at her, having been there, done that. "You ain't seen nothin' yet."

Unfortunately, because Hideo had not technically done anything wrong, and it could be argued that Saki had not placed the child in any danger by leaving her with Millie, thus technically with protective services, all they could do was put out an APB for the couple and a BOLO for Hideo.

So Millie, trusting Rene, handed over her credit card to the woman and told her to get whatever she felt she and Minako were going to need for the duration of Minako's stay with Millie. Minako's diaper bag was loaded with all sorts of stuff, but not enough for an unknown length of stay.

For now, they turned their attention to a new case, one involving the very risky thief of half a million dollars worth of diamonds and gemstones from a condo tower in Honolulu.

The thieves had used a rappelling system to climb down to a thirtieth floor condo from the top of the tower, which had thirty-eight floors, where the gems had been stored in a safe that few people supposedly knew about.

"Whoever these people are, they knew what they were doing," Chin said, having joined them, along with Kono. They had both been brought up to speed with regards to Minako. "I did some checking around; that gear is not cheap."

"So they had to have the money to pull this off, as well as the knowledge," Lou said.

"And the guts," Millie said, shivering involuntarily. She really did not like heights. "What about cutting tools? I would imagine that would be some pretty serious glass to have to cut through. Wouldn't you need specialized tools?"

"Not really," Steve explained. "Buildings like these use tempered glass, the same stuff you see in vehicles, but quite a bit stronger. All it takes is one good hit in the corner and the glass shatters. Think your seatbelt cutter tool, with the pointy end on it."

"Easy in, easy out, if the windows weren't alarmed, which they weren't," Kono said. "And neither was the condo, except the door, which they never touched."

"So how did they get in and out without being seen?" Millie asked, shifting Minako to her shoulder and starting to rock the baby, who was rapidly falling asleep on her shoulder.

"That's what we don't know," Chin said. "HPD did find the gear on the roof, and CSU is processing it, so we're running through a list of people who knew about the gems and the safe."

"Was the safe broken in to?" Millie asked, rubbing Minako's back in a steady motion.

"Hinges were blown off, but because of the location, no one really heard anything," Kono said, bringing up the crime scene photos. "They even used a ballistic blanket to keep the noise and the mess down."

"Those things can't be cheap," Millie said.

"They're not. A good one can go for over a grand," Steve said. "This was not a simple smash and grab."

"So the question is who has the money to finance this, who knew the gems were there, and who had the balls to pull something like this off," Millie said. She glanced at Minako, who was sound asleep, and headed for the travel system, reluctantly putting her down but not buckling her in. Instead, she covered her with a blanket that had been in the bottom of the stroller and snapped the cover over, keeping the light off her as much as possible.

When she rejoined the team, it was to discover they were grinning at her.

"What?" she snapped.

"You're hooked," Lou said.

"Up your nose. She's a baby. What do you expect?" Millie shot back.

But that didn't stop Steve from thinking, and wondering. After all, Millie was twenty-eight and he was no young man himself. The subject of children had never really come up between him and Catherine because of their respective careers, but Millie was different, and so was his current career. Maybe it was time he seriously thought about it.

_Later that night:_

Sam took to Minako with no problem, accepting the situation and the baby with open arms. In fact, he confessed to Millie that during his three-year marriage, he'd wanted kids, but the opportunity had never come up. He'd been busy trying to establish his contracting business and his wife had gotten lonely and fed up.

Now, both man and baby were sound asleep on the recliner, with Minako sleeping on Sam's bare chest after a late-night bottle feed, a blanket over her.

Something stirred in the bushes around Millie's house and Millie, who was already awake and had been checking on things, went hunting, gun and flashlight in hand.

"You had better have one damn good explanation for this," she told the young man peering through her living room window.

He spun around, eyes wide, and ready for a fight. His hands went up when he saw her gun.

"Hideo Wantanabe," she said, recognizing him. "Explain yourself, _fast_."

"Saki told me," he confessed, backing away from the window at her gesture, and away from the house in case she had to start shooting. "I had to make sure."

"Minako's safe, if that's what you mean," Millie said. "How did you find this place?"

"I followed your Jeep after Saki told me," he admitted. "Who is he?" he asked, referring to Sam.

"My brother, and he's just as mean with a hammer as I am with a gun," she warned him.

Hideo seemed to relax. "Good."

"What the hell is going on?" she demanded. "I've got BOLO's out for the pair of you. I know you're with the yakuza and I know you don't want to be, or at least that's what Saki's letter said. Are you going to tell me otherwise?"

"No. My family, we're connected to the yakuza, and I don't see a way out," he admitted. "The woman they would have me marry, Chiyo Fujimoto, I tolerate her at best. I don't love her the way I love Saki, but if her family or my family finds out, they'll kill her, and it will not be quick."

"And Minako?"

"She would disappear into one of the other yakuza families and I would never see her again," he admitted.

"At the rate you're going, that's likely to happen anyway," she shot back.

"Perhaps, but at least with you, she stands a chance at being safe and loved, as loved as I love her," he said, tears starting to slide down her face.

_Oh my lord,_ Millie groaned mentally. She thought fast. "Okay, bucko. This is what's going to happen. I will do what I can to help you, I give you my word on that. I've got a few connections of my own, which I am going to call. In the mean time, you had better find Saki, fast, because I can't help you if I don't know where the hell you two are, do you understand me?" she asked. Hideo nodded. "I'm at Five-0 Headquarters if you need to reach me, or ask for Commander McGarrett. If you get nailed by HPD, _do not _resist. Do what you're told, and I will be alerted because of the BOLO on you and Saki." Again, Hideo nodded. "In the mean time, trust me that she's safe for the night. Show up on my property again, and I swear I will put a bullet in your knee. The yakuza _does not_ need to know about this place. Got it?"

Hideo nodded, taking a swipe at his eyes. "Good. Run while you still can."

"Thank you," he said, gratitude in his eyes. And he took off running out of her yard, jumping over her fence and disappearing into the night.

Millie headed inside to make a phone call to Steve, wondering just what he was going to say about her calling him at nearly two in the morning.

"_Miss me that much?_" he asked drowsily.

"I miss your nice warm body, that's for sure, and your company is always welcome," she shot back. "But that's not why I'm calling. Hideo Wantanabe showed up a few minutes ago, playing Peeping Tom on his daughter."

"_What?_" he yelped, suddenly wide awake.

"Got your attention now, huh?"


	65. Chapter 65

**Chapter 65**

Steve had been having a very nice dream involving Millie and a hot tub when she'd woken him up with her call.

"Is everyone all right?" he demanded.

"_We're fine,_" she soothed. "_Sam and Minako are still sleeping, and I want them to stay that way. Hideo never came inside. He was peeking through the living room window and seemed glad when I told him Sam was just as mean with a hammer as I am with a gun_."

"Did he say what he wanted?"

"_Yeah; he was checking up on his daughter and he confirmed what Saki wrote, about wanting out of the family business. Mentioned a name; Chiyo Fujimoto. Said she was his fiancé and he tolerates her at best. Also said their respective families would kill Saki if they found out, and it wouldn't be quick. As for Minako, she'd disappear into one of the yakuza families and he'd never see her again_."

"Great. So we have three people caught in a mess and two of them doing everything they can to protect the third person, who's too young to know what's going on."

"_And completely innocent, but somehow I don't think the head bosses are going to see it that way_."

"I don't know. Did Hideo say anything else?"

"_No. On the other hand, I told him there was a BOLO for both him and Saki and if HPD nails him, not to fight or resist. The BOLO would alert us and we'd come to them. I also told him to find Saki, because we couldn't help the pair of them if we didn't know where the hell they were. Then I told him to get the hell off my property because the last thing we needed was the yakuza knowing about my plac_e."

"True that. You okay?"

She groaned, stretching, and put her gun back under her pillow and wishing he was beside her. "I'm fine, but I miss your company. Things have been so damn crazy lately."

"_I know, and neither of us know how long this business with Minako is going to last_."

"Well, if need be, we won't have any trouble getting a babysitter."

"_There is that. Tell you what; first weekend we get, we grab our gear and go camping_."

She smiled. She liked their camping trips because sex was always a guarantee and she always learned something new with him. "That sounds like a good idea. How about that one near that waterfall, the one we went to the last time?"

"_You liked that spot, huh? Yeah, sure, we can do that_."

"Hey Steve?"

"_Yeah?_"

"Have you ever thought about having kids?"

He went quiet then spoke. "_On and off, yeah. I mean, I love Grace to pieces, and Joan is adorable, but I've occasionally wondered what I'd be like as a parent. You?_"

"Like you, on and off. Terrified of the prospect, because my own upbringing wasn't exactly the greatest, but it wasn't all bad once I met the Phelps. I don't know. This whole business with Minako, got me thinking, I guess."

"_What would you do if you got pregnant?_"

"Keep the baby, for starters. The rest would depend on the father, but I would keep the baby."

"_And marriage?_"

She laughed. "I would consider it for the sake of the baby, but the last guy who tried to put a ring on my finger died before we ever made it to the church, so for my sake of mind, it would have to be one damn short engagement."

"_That could be done_."

"Are you asking, Commander?"

"_Are you willing, Officer?"_

"Play it by ear?"

"_If you will_."

"I will."

"_Then so will I. Love you, Nani_."

"Love you too, Koa. See you in the morning."

The next day was busy for everyone. They were tracking down names and faces and doing interviews while Millie scrambled to keep up with them and the paperwork and deal with a baby all in the same shot. For the most part, things weren't too bad, especially once she got a baby carrier she could strap to her chest when Minako was awake, or in the playpen when she was in her office and napping. Unfortunately, at some point, Millie had to go to the courthouse.

That was when she started cussing and praying to a higher power for help.

Millie was swearing as she tried to make her way through the courthouse. It felt like every two minutes someone was stopping to say hello to her and Minako, who was in a baby carrier on her chest. The little tyke had been whimpering steadily and Millie was sure she was working up to a full-fledge scream and she was starting to panic because she didn't know what to do. Minako had been fed earlier, and her diaper was fine, but she kept spitting out her soother, so Millie wasn't quite sure what was wrong. She was debating as to whether or not to call Rene, when she was stopped by Captain Jonathan Riker. Standing at about five-foot eleven, well-built, with tanned skin and laughing eyes, he was a friend and he had always been kind to her when they'd crossed paths.

"Hey there, Radar. Whatcha got there?" he asked, stroking Minako's head, who stared at him.

"Her name is Minako, and she's in protective custody, namely me, until we can get her parents under our custody, because of the yakuza," Millie said, having repeated the story dozens of times already. "She's real fussy right now, and I don't know what to do."

"May I?" he asked.

Millie nodded eagerly and, after going over to a bench and sitting down, she helped him free the baby from her carrier. He checked her over with a gentle, expert hand, then laid her across his shoulder and began patting her back firmly. A moment later, she gave a loud, toe-rattling burp, and stopped whimpering.

Millie stared at him. "What the hell was I doing wrong?" she asked, trying not to cry for some stupid reason.

"The burping thing? That just takes practice," Jonathan said, rubbing Minako's back with a practiced hand. "I've got six kids, and two of 'em are twins. Plus, I just found out I'm going to be a grandpa."

Millie looked at him with wide eyes. "You were busy, weren't you?"

He laughed, blushing. "Oh, and stop by the pharmacy and get something called gripe water. She doesn't need a lot, but a little bit can help with the gas. That, and a tummy rub and bicycling her legs when you're changing her. How long is she going to be with you?"

"I don't know. Her mommy is on the run from the yakuza, and her daddy is the yakuza but doesn't want to be, which is making for a bigger mess, but because technically neither of them have done anything wrong, the best we can do is a BOLO and an APB. I don't know the first thing about babies so I'm going crazy here. Plus, my team is running down a case involving some very brazen guys stealing a half million dollars worth of diamonds and gems from a tower, by rappelling down it in the middle of the night."

"I heard about that," Jonathan said, nodding, starting to rock sideways. "Your guys caught that?"

"Yeah. Word is whoever these jokers are, they knew what they were doing. And Steve is having the time of his life, because he's a SEAL and apparently rappelling was part of his training, and apparently this is some pretty high-class gear we're looking at."

"If you're going to steal half a million in gems and diamonds from a tower, you're going to need it," Jonathan said. "Not to mention a lot of guts to pull something like that off."

"Know anyone like that?"

A thoughtful look came across his face. "How big was the tower?"

"Thirty-eight floors, condo thing. They broke the window from the outside and blew the hinges off the safe. Condo was on the thirtieth floor."

"And pricey gear, huh?"

"Yeah. The best we can figure is someone knew the gems were there."

"I might know someone. You got a number to go with your badge or is that just for show?"

She glared at him, seeing the smile on his face, then stole his notebook and wrote down her personal cellphone number. "If you didn't have Minako in your arms, I'd belt you."

"Oh, I think you'll like me even more; she's almost asleep. Think her little tummy trouble wore her out."

"And I'm on a massive guilt trip."

"Don't be. Even after six kids I still had my fair share of goof-ups. Each baby is different. You'll learn."

"Before or after I get more grey hair?"

He grinned at her and tugged at his own salt and pepper hair. "Where do you think these came from?"

Millie's cellphone beeped, signalling an incoming text message. Then she started laughing. "Steve is adding a few more silvers to his." She showed him the message.

"_Guy comes up to us and asks us if we're cops. Yes what can we do for you? Wants to find out who to complain to about the quality of his crack cocaine he just bought from his dealer. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!_"

Jonathan grinned at her as he helped her put a sleeping Minako back in her carrier. "You think that's bad, tell him this; I once had to tell my wife, Piper, that I was going to be late because I had to get a cavity search for this female drug user, because she'd shoved her little baggie of ice up her pussy, and admitted she hadn't had a bath or a shower in a few days, and we were in the middle of a heat wave. I had to ask Piper to pick up the poor ER doc a large Starbucks gift card for that, and he was an intern."

Millie was laughing so hard she had trouble getting the snaps done up on the baby carrier. It took her a few minutes to do it, but she managed to send the message to Steve. A moment later she got a reply back.

"_Danny hates you. He nearly choked on his coffee all over the inside of the car_."

"The stories Captain Riker could tell you would hurt your ribs..." she sent back.

"_I believe you! Trust me, I believe you! Does he have any more?_"


	66. Chapter 66

**Chapter 66**

"McGarrett," Steve said, answering his phone.

"_Steve, it's Duke. You guys had a BOLO for a Hideo Wantanabe?_" Duke asked.

"We do. Do you have him?"

"_And a woman named Saki Nakano, who claims to be his girlfriend_."

"We want 'em both. Get them to Headquarters and keep them under protective custody until we get there," Steve said. "They're not in trouble, but they do need to be kept safe. I'll let Millie know. Thanks, man."

"_No problem. Anything we should know about?_"

"Yeah; the yakuza may be gunning for them because of a Romeo and Juliet situation, with a baby caught in the middle," Steve said.

"_And here I thought things were getting boring lately_."

"Oh I think things are about to kick up again. Somehow, we've got to get that couple and their baby out of Hawaii and out of reach of the yakuza."

"_Compared to what you guys have pulled me into, that's mild_," Duke scoffed. "_I'll get 'em to Headquarters and we'll keep 'em safe._"

"Mahalo." Steve's next call was to Millie. "Hideo and Saki have been located; Duke's bringing them to HQ."

"_I'll be waiting. Oh, we're double-dating on Friday night_."

"Sam and Ashley?"

"_Yup. Sam asked for help, I negotiated a bit with Ashley. Tell Danny to expect a text message that tells him to call you and make it sound like we caught a case, which gives us an excuse to leave the two wannabe lovebirds alone while we have some real fun of our own_. _Warning; semi-formal location, so dust off that suit of yours._"

"I'll do that."

"_I'll beep you the details later. Oh, and the warrant for Tyler Delam's office came through. Chin and Lou have it, and they're grabbing Kono on the way_."

"Good. We'll catch up to them at HQ. We've got Tony Segal on his way for questioning."

"_Have fun. Also, Bob McCollum's insurance company got back to me; those gems had been insured for over a million, twice their market value, and Bob's already chomping at the bit to get the money. I told the lady to stall as much as she possibly could. She said she would because she admitted the whole thing stank of a set-up_."

"It is. We just finished talking to Kawika; no one he knows has the kind of money or skills to pull off this kind of robbery, and none of them are that stupid to try it in the first place."

"_What about desperate?_"

"Not for that kind of risk, no."

"_So why Tony Segal, whoever he is?_"

"He's head of Tyler Delam's security and when we were talking to him, Danny spotted rappelling gear in his truck."

"_And hello instant suspicions_."

"You got it."

"_I'll start running him; see what pops up. You guys may have just found the thread_."

After Steve ended the call, Danny looked at him curiously. "Sam and Ashley?" he asked.

"Millie and I are double-dating on Friday night, with Sam and Ashley. You'll get a text from Millie that will be your cue to call me and make it sound like we caught a case, which will leave Sam and Ashley alone."

"Ah, I see. And if we do actually catch a case?"

"Then expect to see Millie in a semi-formal dress."

"Now that would be a sight to see."

"And speaking of seeing things, I'd like to see what other gear our new best friend has," Steve said, heading for their suspect's truck. Tony was on his way to Headquarters for questioning, and looking none too happy about that. "Couple of carabiners, hand and foot ascenders, couple of descenders, full body harness, rope, gloves, shoes, you name it, it's here. "

"Anything that looks like the gear from our nutjobs?"

Steve held up a bag of something attached to a webbing loop and a small carabiner. He dipped his fingers in the bag and they came back covered in a white powder. "This does. It's powdered chalk and I remember seeing it on the rope that was left behind. Most people use liquid chalk, or some form of it, but it looks like this guy is old school. And since he's connected to Tyler Delam, I've got a few more questions for him."

"Sounds good to me."

At Headquarters, Millie had some more information for them regarding Tony Segal.

"He tried to join the Marines twice but was rejected both times due to mental health concerns," she said, pulling up the files. "He's got a regular member ship at a place called Volcanic Rock Gym, which specializes in climbing and rappelling and according to the person I spoke to, he's a regular visitor, more so in the last few days leading up to the theft. The impression the trainers got was he was training for something, but he wouldn't say what."

"Phone?" Steve asked, noticing Hideo and Saki waiting in his office, being watched by an HPD officer.

"A lot of calls to a Jacob Runners and Bob McCollum, as well as his boss, Tyler Delam," Millie said, pulling up Tony's cellphone records and a group of DMV photos. "Jacob Runners has a history of working with explosives in a mining company back on the mainland, and Bob McCollum? Seems like your ordinary working construction worker, except this guy likes to lift weights. One of the text messages he sent to Tony mentioned a UFC Gym, so I made a few calls. He's a member, and he can lift twice his weight."

"Which would come in handy when you're climbing back up a building," Danny said.

"Exactly," Millie said.

"What about Jacob Runners?" Steve asked.

"Working as a security guard under Tony, likes to use the same gym as Bob, and also likes to lift weights, but he also likes to hit the punching bag regularly. From what I was told, Jacob has a bit of a temper and there's been a few near dust-ups," Millie said. "One of the women mentioned that Bob's been the one to stop Jacob from hitting someone and they've been debating as to whether or not to cancel his membership if this keeps up."

"You've been busy," Danny said.

"I'm very good at sweet-talking people, you know that," Millie shot back. "On that note, Hideo and Saki are here, Sam is on his way back with Minako, and I'll be placing a call in the near future to a friend in Portland who may be able to help our lovely guests disappear. Hideo knows enough of the family business to make things very uncomfortable for a few members of the yakuza and he's offering that information in exchange for protection for his family. I gave him a pad of paper and a pen and he's writing things down as we speak. And I had to assure both of them several times that Minako is fine with Sam. I even showed them some pictures of her, which I had sent to their phones upon their request." She sighed tired.

"Long day?" Steve asked, rubbing her shoulders.

"You ain't kidding. And the day's not over yet. As soon as you sign off on the paperwork, I'll make the call," Millie said. "Oh, and Ellie needs you to sign off on some paperwork so she can start going after the people you went after last week."

"Go ahead and make the call to your friend in Portland," Steve said. "Show me the paperwork Ellie wants signed and I'll take care of it, as well as any other paperwork that needs my immediate attention. Danny?"

"I'm going to go have fun with Tony," Danny said. "Join me when you can. Anything I can use against him?"

"Yeah, the two thousand dollars he owes his bookie for gambling," Millie said, pulling up the text messages. "He made several mentions of a big payoff in the immediate future, and the bookie is threatening to break his fingers if he doesn't, which Tony really doesn't want happening, because he apparently lives and breathes climbing."

"Broken fingers means no climbing," Danny guessed. "Ever."

"So he has good reason for paying off that gambling debt, which means he has even more motive for stealing those gems. Any idea who the bookie is?" Steve asked.

"Not at the moment, no. I'm still running numbers," Millie said.

"Do what you can. As soon as the others get back, we'll help you," Steve said.

"Thanks." Her phone started playing the _Mythbusters _theme and she tapped it. Her eyebrows shot up and she smiled. "I think Sam really wants to be a daddy." She showed them the picture that had just been sent to her phone. It was of Minako, wearing a bright pink tee with the words "_Princess In Training_" in white on the front, a frilly, sparkly pink tutu skirt, and a pretty pink headband with a big pink bow in her hair. She was staring at the camera with wide eyes and a fist in her mouth, a small pastel-colored Minnie Mouse plush very firmly in her other hand, cuddled against her face.

"Are you sure we're not going to have a problem getting Sam to give Minako back to her parents?" Danny asked. "Because right now I'm starting to think we may."

_Portland, Oregon:_

"Detective Burkhardt," Nick said, not recognizing the number that showed up on his desk phone call display.

"_Aloha, Detective. This is Officer Millie Phelps, formerly Thompson, Five-0 Taskforce. How are you?_"

"Ah, I've had better days, but then again, haven't we all?" he asked, leaning back in his chair, remembering the pretty brunette woman with the soothing voice and wicked kick.

"_Haven't we all indeed_."

"How about you?" he asked.

"_Up to my usual no good and loving every minute of it_."

He laughed. "You going to come back here any time soon? I think Mikey, the would-be mugger whose nuts you kicked the last time you were here, he needs another lesson."

"_He's out_," Millie guessed.

"We busted him last week for the same thing."

"_Good grief_," she groaned. "_Well, I'm afraid I've used up my air miles for a while, but you could always send him my way and I could get my steel toe runners on_."

"Done, as long as I get to come and watch. I need a vacation and a good laugh."

"_That bad, huh?_"

"That bad."

"_My sympathies. Listen, the reason I'm calling is because I need a favour_."

"And here it was because I thought you missed the sound of my charming voice," he teased, causing her to laugh. She had a nice laugh, he thought. If it hadn't been for that nasty business with Adalind and Juliette, he would have been tempted.

"_Smooth one, Detective, very smooth_," she shot back, a smile in her voice.

"Thank you, and it's Nick," he said.

"_Millie. Anyway, how familiar are you with the yakuza?_"

"Asian-type gang that's a major pain in the butt, but they did help with the disaster in Japan back in 2011."

"_That they did. Too bad they're not exactly forgiving. I've got a couple who pissed off the yakuza because one of them didn't want to join the family business._"

"That would be a problem."

"_More so since there's a two week-old baby girl caught in the mess._"

"Oh how nice."

"_Very. Now, the father wants out of the business, and I don't want to send them to Vancouver Island, because that's a bit too obvious_."

"You want to send them my way."

"_I do. One of my brothers has connections in the construction industry and has promised Hideo and his family a lifestyle that's one-eighty from what he's doing now. If I send them your way, along with the necessary documents, can you help them disappear?_"

"Send me the file and I'll let my captain know," he promised.

"_In that case, I need an e-mail address please and thank you. Be warned, Minako, the baby, she's a real cutie_."

He grinned. "Aren't they all at that age?" He gave her his e-mail address and a moment later, his computer beeped, signalling an incoming e-mail. "Got it," he said, opening and scrolling through the file. "And you're right; she is a cutie. I didn't know it was possible for babies to have that much hair at that early an age."

"_Neither did I, until I saw her_."

"What's with the mean-looking furball beside her?"

She huffed a laugh. "_That's Lunkhead, my main love. I brought Minako home for protective custody, and that damn cat refused to let her out of his sight. He went bat-shit crazy if she even whimpered!_"

He laughed. "Thought Steve was your main love," he teased. "Or did he get replaced, and do I stand a chance?"

Millie laughed. "_No, Steve is still my main man, I'm afraid. Sorry_."

"Ah, best man wins, but trust me, if you were here, he'd have a serious contender."

"_Well thank you, but I'm afraid O'ahu is my home. Tell you what; you ever decide to come my way, let me know, and I'll set you up with some girls that are guaranteed to have you drooling_."

Nick laughed. "I'll do that. Okay, I'll take this file to Captain Renard, and let him know what's going on. We'll make sure they're safe. I promise."

"_Thank you, Nick. I really appreciate this. I'll buy you a drink the next time you come my way."_

"I look forward to it. Let me know when you're sending them my way and I'll meet them at the airport with Hank. How do you say _take care_ in Hawaiian?"

"_Malama pono_," she said.

"In that case, malama pono."

"_Always, and likewise._"

Nick set the phone handset down, still grinning, as he read through the file.

"What's with the grin?" Detective Hank Griffin asked, grinning at him.

"Do you remember Officer Millie Thompson, now Phelps, from Hawaii?"

"The brunette who kicked Mikey after he said it would have hurt less if she had kicked him, rather than beating the hell out of him? That was her?"

"That was her. Seems she remembered us and is asking us to help a couple who are on the run from the yakuza, help them stay safe and disappear if need be. One of her brothers has connections in the construction industry, so that'll help."

"Oh, is that all?"

"And there's a two week-old baby caught in the middle," Nick said, printing up the file for them and Renard.

"That would do it," Hank said. His eyes went wide when he saw the photo of Minako and Lunkhead. "I am not crossing that cat."

"Especially since that cat seems to love that baby," Nick said, grinning.


	67. Chapter 67

**Chapter 67**

"You'll be just fine," Millie said, adjusting the collar of Sam's wine-coloured dress shirt. It was open neck, with no tie, under a dark grey dress vest and matching slacks. He would be wearing a matching jacket and black loafers with the attire. His cologne was Ralph Lauren's _Red Polo Intense_, a belated birthday gift from Millie, after learning that his go-to cologne was Ralph Lauren's _Red Polo._

"You think you're nervous? The messages I just got from her say she's just as nervous," Millie continued. "Just be yourself and everything will be just fine. Steve and I are going to be there, so relax."

She was wearing a knee-length teal overlay lace dress with three-quarter sleeves and a black spaghetti-strap underlay. With it were her favourite black sling-back heels and crystal drop earrings.

The plan was simple. Steve and Ashley would be meeting them at an upscale restaurant, with Millie driving Blackbird with Sam, while Steve had his truck, and Ashley would be arriving by cab. Later, someone, namely Sam, would be taking her home, because what neither Sam nor Ashley knew was that Steve and Millie would be getting a 'call-out' courtesy of Danny, after a prearranged signal. Then Steve and Millie would go and have a little fun of their own.

"Surely you've dated other women after your divorce?" Millie asked.

"Sort of. Except they usually did the asking and it was usually by mutual consent, not like this. I haven't done this since Megan. Are you sure I don't need a tie?" Sam asked.

"Do you want to get strangled with it? Because you're going about it the right way," she threatened.

He grinned at her. "I'm shaking in my shoes," he teased.

She glanced at her watch, a slim jewelry-type one instead of Keegan's watch, and said, "Time to go." She slapped his chest. "Relax; everything will be just fine."

They got to the restaurant at the appointed time, and Millie smiled in appreciation at Steve. He was wearing a familiar dark blue suit and white dress shirt, and Millie couldn't wait to get him out of it.

They were led to their table and had just seated themselves when Ashley arrived. She wore a black knee length shirred satin dress with an empire waist and a black satin bow under her bust. The dress was held up by spaghetti straps that crossed at her back, visible only after she removed her red and black wool shawl. When she saw Sam, her face lit up, and Sam nearly swallowed his tongue.

_Yes!_ Millie thought, mentally congratulating herself on coaxing Ashley to get the dress, as she gave the woman a welcoming hug. She watched as Ashley blushed under Sam's smile and blushed even more as Sam seated her at the table.

"Ashley, this is Steve McGarrett, my boyfriend," Millie said, introducing Steve to her friend.

"Nice to meet you, Ashley," Steve said. "Millie's told me about the work you do at the shelter."

Between the two of them, they managed to get the conversation going, and Ashley started relaxing, as did Sam, especially when Millie and Sam started trading friendly jabs.

Half an hour later, Steve sent the code word to Danny, who called Steve a moment later.

"_Have fun, guys_," Danny said when Steve answered his phone.

"You're serious," Steve said. He sighed heavily. "All right. Text Millie the address. We're on our way." He ended the call and looked at Millie, who was fighting the grin on her face. "We've got a call-out."

"Oh, how nice," Millie said, managing to paste a scowl on her face. She dug around her purse for her keys and tossed them to Sam. "Have fun and behave. I'll catch you guys later," she said, getting up and following Steve, trying not to run in her eagerness.

Ten minutes later, she wasn't containing her eagerness anymore as she kissed him with the same eagerness he was kissing her. He finally got her out of her dress as they navigated their way through his house.

"Very nice," he said, smiling in appreciation of her g-string panties and black lace strapless bra. He ran his hand down her black thigh-high stockings. "Very nice indeed."

"And if you try and tell me women don't wear stockings in Hawaii, I will make them vanish and you'll never see them again," she teased, working on getting him out of his shirt; his jacket was already gone.

"I won't say a word," he promised, "because I can't wait to feel them around me. Do me a favour?"

"Okay," she said, shoving his shirt off and attacking the buckle of his pants.

"Leave your heels on."

"That I can do," she said. And that was the last coherent thing she said for a while.

An hour later, she sent Sam a text message.

_Don't expect me home tonight. Gonna be a long one._

_Have fun_, Sam replied a moment later. _And thank you. ;)_

"That takes care of that problem," she said to Steve, putting her phone down and snuggling against him.

"But it leads to another problem," he said, running his fingers up and down her arm.

"Yeah? Whazat?"

"Just what are we going to do with ourselves for the rest of the night?"

She grinned at him, seeing the mischevious light in his eyes. "Oh I can think of a few things..."

The case involving Hideo Wantanabe and Saki Nakano had been put to rest, thanks in part to Hideo writting down everything he knew about his family's yakuza. The information wasn't enough to put a serious dent in the operations, but it was enough to trip them up for quite a while, and the D.A. was happy with that, happy enough to help Five-0 get the necessary documents and passports that would get them safely out of reach of the yakuza.

Reunited with their baby, Hideo and Saki were quickly on the first flight to Portland, Oregon, with assurances that a friend would be waiting for them when they landed.

As for the ongoing case involving stolen gems, that had turned into a murder investigation the day before. Tyler Delam had been found hanging by his neck in his garage, but forensic evidence was saying he died in his house after a nasty fight with someone, a fight he clearly lost. There were three main suspects, and all three of them had vanished off the radar.

A check of their phones had revealed some serious back-and-forth calls between Tyler and Tony Segal, each one lasting several minutes. There were also several calls between Tony and his bookie, a charming fellow by the name of Shane Dearing. The last one was at least an hour before Max suspected Tyler was killed. As for Jacob and Bob, there had been a call between Jacob and Tony roughly around the same time, and neighbours remember seeing both Tony and Jacob in the area at the time of the murder.

Max was processing Tyler's body, but the beating had been so bad it was hard to tell where one bruise stopped and another started.

As for the insurance money on the gems, Millie's new friend at the insurance company had managed to delay the payment for so long that Tyler had come down to the office and started yelling and screaming to the point he'd been forcibly removed from the building and threatened with harassment charges. Then he had been told, under no uncertain terms, that he would not get his money until the insurance company was satisfied with Five-0's report. Three hours later, Tyler was dead.

A search warrant had turned up more rappelling and climbing equipment in Tony's apartment, equipment that CSU was saying bore trace evidence from the building that had been robbed. Their interview of Tony hadn't revealed anything much, other than him admitting to the gambling problem, and a firm denial of knowledge of the gems. When a lawyer from Tyler's office had shown up, they had been forced to release Tony.

And now one man was dead and three were missing. BOLO's had been put out for all three, but Millie had noticed Bob's bank account and cell phone activity had stopped completely, leading to suspicions that Bob was also amongst the dead now.

Now, as morning came, Steve and Millie would be heading for a badly-needed camping trip in the Honolulu Watershed Forest Reserve over the weekend. Danny knew about the trip, and had promised to tell Sam the truth the next morning, but Millie got the feeling that wouldn't be an issue for Sam.

Millie was looking forward to the trip because it was a chance to get away from everything and forget about the bad guys for a while. It was also a chance for her to reconnect with Steve and act as a couple, not just as boss and secretary.

Catherine was gone, having taken a job with some intelligence agency, and while Millie would miss her company, she wouldn't miss the tension between Catherine and Steve, especially when it was very obvious Millie had just been soundly kissed.

Now, Millie was going to, very firmly, put the rest of the world aside, and be Steve's girlfriend for the weekend.

"You ready?" Steve asked her, watching as she tightened the straps on her hiking back pack. They both had identical sleeping bags that would be zipped together, a lightweight two-person tent, cooking and campfire gear (Millie was not leaving home without her coffee!), water bottles and filtration system, and emergency survival gear. Millie had surprised Steve for his birthday with a DeLorme inReach Explorer Two-Way Satellite Communicator with GPS that would let them stay in touch with their family and friends better, via text messaging, and a tracking program that Millie installed on the Headquarters computer.

"When you are," Millie said, smiling back at him. "This is going to be fun."

Half an hour later, they were at the Reserve. Steve's truck was parked and locked and he'd transmitted the coordinates to Millie's Facebook page, a public profile she used that could also be used as an emergency contact.

Then, shrugging and belting into their backpacks, they were off. The plan was for them to take their time and take it easy. They would stop when they found a suitable place to camp for the night, and go swimming in one of the many streams that dotted the landscape when it got warm enough.

An hour in to their trip, they found such a stream, and that cumulated into a very interesting session for both of them. This, combined with their antics, made the day go by quickly. As they walked, they talked.

"Have you heard from your contact in Portland?" Steve asked.

"Detective Burkhardt? Yeah; he let me know our little family-in-hiding arrived safely and thought Minako was the cutest little nipper he'd ever seen, next to his son, of course."

Steve smirked. "Of course."

"Sam said he had a really good time with Ashley and they're already making plans for another date. I told him he was on his own this time."

"Thank you. How's his house-hunting going?"

"He said he's got some places he wants to look at over the next few days; couple of fixer-upers, which doesn't surprise me in the slightest."

"Too bad you can't just sell him yours and move in with me."

"If you want me pregnant with your baby, I may have to. Mind you, may I suggest hiring Sam the next time you need repairs done on your house, especially if you have the misfortune of getting the place shot up again?"

"Does he work cheap?"

"Considering some of the other contractors, more than likely. And you know you'd get quality work."

"There is that. Tell you what; he'll be my first choice if we ever decide to expand the house."

"Fair enough."

The sun was beginning its decent when Steve finally called a halt to their hiking and found a suitable place for them to make camp near a stream. Having settled into an easy routine, the couple quickly set up camp.

It was when Steve went searching for wood that he came across something odd. Four men, wearing biker patches and vests, were in a red Jeep that stood out like a sore thumb in the forest. He figured they must've come by the Na Ala Hele: Manoa Falls Trail, which intersected the Waihï Stream, which crossed through the Reserve for several miles, the same stream he and Millie were camped near.

As he watched, the men got out and three of them started clearing an area. The fourth man appeared to be the leader and he was watching one of the other men with a cold, calculating eye. Steve's senses started ringing loudly when he saw the gun tucked in the back pants of one of the men. When Millie tapped him on the shoulder, he nearly jumped out of his skin and then yanked her down behind the shrub. Something was up and he had a bad feeling it wasn't good.

Placing his finger to his lips at her puzzled expression, he jerked his head at the men. Confused, she nodded but did as bid.

Copying Steve, Millie hunkered down, watching her surroundings closely, and listening carefully.

"What's going on, man?" one of the men asked nervously.

"What? You don't like camping?" the leader asked, reminding Millie of Stone Cold Steve Austin, the WWE wrestler, taking a swig of his beer.

"I like camping just fine; just a heck of a lot closer to civilization and cell reception," Nervous Man snapped.

"Too close to authorities and cops and whatnot," Stone Cold said. "Can't have any real fun with someone watching over your shoulder."

"There is that," Nervous Man said, eyeing the other two men with the same suspicion. "Where's your girlfriend, Russo? Fun's no fun without girls."

"The girls are grabbing the rest of the beer and shit," Stone Cold said calmly. "They'll be joining us shortly." He took another swig of his beer and continued. "We got a bit of a problem right now, though, Tommy boy." He accepted the gun the second man handed him and Tommy swallowed nervously.

Millie nearly jumped out of her skin when Steve put his arm around her shoulders, half-covering her protectively. She suspected he was starting to have just as bad feelings about things as she was.

"What's that, Red?" Tommy asked.

"One of the girls saw you getting cozy with a cop a few days back," Red said. "You know how I feel about cops meddling in my business, Tommy."

"Very much I do, and I don't know what you're talking about," Tommy said.

"Really? 'Cause I trust Tee quite a bit. She may be a bitch, but she's a loyal bitch," Red said.

"Tee is a lying whore who's pissed at me because I wouldn't screw her last week," Tommy shot back. "I know better than to screw the boss's bitch."

"That's true, especially a low man like you, but like I said, I trust Tee. You, on the other hand, not so much."

"What do I have to do to prove to you I'm not lying?" Tommy demanded desperately. "I don't go near cops; I'm not that stupid! As for Tee, she tried to tell me you couldn't get it up and keep it up long enough to satisfy her and suggested I might be able to take care of that! She even offered me what she called bonuses!"

Red's eyebrows shot up as he took a swig of his beer. "And?"

"I turned her down flat! I don't know what she told you, but I never went near no fat-ass cop!"

Red nodded contemplatively, then suddenly snapped his arm up and calmly fired the gun. Just like it was described in all the _Mack Bolan _and _Stony Man_ books, blood, brain, and bone exploded out the back of Tommy's head, and he dropped without a sound.

Millie tried to muffle her scream of denial, and managed to keep it to a low squeal behind her hands that she had slapped over her mouth and tightly clenched jaw. She couldn't stop her tears and a quick glance at Steve told her he wasn't much better.

_Son of a murdering bitch! _she thought, breathing hard. _May you suffer all the agonies of hell, you bastard!_

She reached for Steve's hand and he gripped her hand as tightly as she was gripping his.

"Too bad I don't believe you," Red said to Tommy's body. "Bury the fool," Red said coldly. "There shouldn't be anyone this far out but I didn't get this far by being stupid."

The other two men nodded and grabbed some small shovels and started digging near the body. Meanwhile, Red headed for his Jeep and appeared to grab another beer from the back, acting as if taking someone's life were an everyday occurrence.

After a tense moment, Steve hissed in Millie's ear, "We need to leave."

She nodded, and as quietly as they could, they scrambled up and back-tracked out of the area.

"If Red killed Tommy without batting an eyelash, he'll do the same to Tee, whoever she is. We've got to do something," she hissed, once they were far enough away that sound wouldn't carry much.

"We will," he promised. "Right now we need to get the rest of our gear and the satphone and be prepared for a fight." He glanced at her frightened face. "You wanted to know how I roll as a SEAL; this is one way to learn."

"Yeah, but not quite like this!" she shot back, still seeing Tom's death in her mind's eye. Breathing hard, she tried to get a grip on herself. "Okay, okay, we need to get back to the camp and get the satphone and let the others know what happened," she said, forcing herself to think.

"That's right," he said, rubbing her shoulders. He threw a glance around their surroundings, watching for trouble. "What else do we need to do?"

"Pictures. We need pictures of this Tom person and of any of the men and whatever we can see," she said. "I still, I still have my cell phone with me, but I also have a digital camera that has a data card."

"Good. That's good," he said. Hearing a noise, he glanced up, his senses on alert. "We need to move," he said, pulling her along. "When we get back to camp, start dismantling the tent. We've got to move fast."

"Absolutes only?"

"Absolutes only."

She nodded. The moment they got back to their camp, she dove for the tent and pulled out their sleeping bag and backpacks. For now, that would remain behind as it was too visible and too bulky for them to hide with. While she dismantled the tent, Steve went through their bags and quickly repacked them, send a message to Danny as he did.

_Emergency situation; guy called Red just head-shot Tommy. Over 6 ft, bald, tanned, tattoo on left bicep, shoots with left hand, reminded Nani of 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin,_ Steve texted.

"Well that's a great description," Danny said sarcastically to himself, heading for the computer table, and gesturing at Chin to follow him. "Our favourite couple just witnessed a murder," he explained. "They go camping in the middle of nowhere and still manage to find trouble." He sent Steve a confirmation message and asked what they were going to do.

_Will try and get pictures, but need stay one step ahead of this guy; had two others with him. Enable GPS program, _Steve replied.

"Tracking now," said Chin, tapping on the computer table. "Got them. As long as they keep their communicator with them and keep posting their location, we should be able to we should be able to track them."

"Got you," Danny mumbled as he sent a message back to Steve. "Stay safe."

_Mahalo. Tommy mentioned a woman called Tee and a cop; biker gang? Red owns a red Jeep. Will try and get the plate,_ Steve said.

"And this was supposed to be a nice, simple camping trip?" Danny said to Chin.

"This is Steve, remember?" Chin pointed out to him, grinning.

"Right; the king of Can't Keep Out of Trouble, except Millie is with him and now we have to explain to Sam that his baby sister is right in the middle of the forest with a killer possibly on their heels who looks like Stone Cold Steve Austin and could be part of a gang. And if Sam is like me in regards to his siblings, especially his sister, he's going to be wanting to do a little head bashing himself," Danny said.

"So much for a quiet weekend," Chin teased.


	68. Chapter 68

**Chapter 68**

The majority of their hiking and camping gear had been strung up in a tree and the location recorded on the GPS for later retrieval. Right now, they had full water bottles, their knives on their hips, some rope, emergency blankets and gear, First Aid kit, flares, flashlights, and an SOG Backcountry Axe that had a saw hidden in the handle. They had both changed into convertible cargo pants and short-sleeve shirts under long sleeve hoodies, with thick socks in their hiking boots. Millie had her SOG SEAL Pup knife, a gift from Steve just after her attack, as a way of making her feel a bit safer. She never went camping or hiking without it, and right now the handle was comforting under her hand.

"I really don't like this," Millie mumbled, trying to keep pace with Steve in the dark. By now the sun had set and her eyes had adjusted to the darkness of the forest, with the light of the moon peeking through the canopy every now and then. "Are you sure we can't just huddle down for the night and move in when the sun comes up again? Because this is really, really not a smart idea."

"Unfortunately we have to keep moving," Steve said. "I don't trust those guys to behave for the night, and I've got a bad feeling this Red may try and go after Tee."

Millie sighed heavily. "Are you positive, or is this another one of your SEAL power thingies?"

"SEAL power thingies?" he repeated, helping her over a tree root that would have caused her to land on her face.

"Yeah, that ability of yours to sense when there's danger around," she said, holding his hand tightly as she continued following him cautiously.

He chuckled. "That's experience. I promise, once I think we're safe, we'll stop and rest."

She sighed in relief. "Thank you." Then she jumped a foot high when a bird suddenly cried out and she had to slap a hand over her mouth to stop herself from crying out in fear.

"I didn't realize you were scared of the dark," he said, realizing she had a problem. She had a grip on his arm he was sure was going to leave bruises later.

"I'm not scared of the dark in the general sense; I'm terrified of being alone in the forest at night," she shot back, keeping her voice low. "There's a difference."

"Did something happen?"

"Yeah; Peter happened. He bribed a group of school kids to invite me on a camping trip in the woods and then abandoned me the moment my back was turned. The main highway was about two to three miles away, and I had no sleeping bag, no blanket, no food, nothing but a flashlight, and he had even gone as far as putting batteries in the flashlight that died shortly afterwards," Millie said. "And because it had been warm earlier that day, I was dressed lightly. I was fourteen at the time and eager to make friends, which made me a real easy target for these kids."

"Oh my god," Steve groaned.

"To make matters worse, they thought it would be funny to try and scare me because there had been stories circulating for years about a pack of werewolves in that area, werewolves who liked to prey on teenagers."

"And when they started, you ran," Steve guessed.

"I ran, and I can't remember for how long or which direction. I do know I stumbled across a family camping in the area and they took pity on me. They got me calmed down, cleaned me up and got me warm again, and let me stay the night with them. Then they took me to a nearby Ranger station in the morning," Millie explained.

"Bet there was a lot of hell raised over that."

"Six kinds, all aimed at Peter and the kids involved in the whole scaring thing. I know three of them got suspended and instead of making friends, I made enemies not of my doing. Janice didn't care, except about the noise and fuss I'd unintentionally raised, and Gram tore a strip off Peter a mile wide, as did the Ranger and the cop the Ranger turned me over to, to get me home. That garnered me the silent treatment for over a month and a whole host of mean pranks for days afterwards. Mind you, Peter's month of silence was the best month of my life."

"Does Sam know?"

"He sort of knew, but he didn't know the whole story; he'd moved out years ago when it happened. I told him a few weeks back, when he asked about it, and he threatened to do worse to Peter if he ever showed up here."

"He'll have help with that. If you're scared of being alone in the woods at night, then how did you manage the ghost thing on the Pali Highway?"

"I wasn't completely in the woods at the time and I made damn sure my flashlight had fresh batteries, as well as extra batteries just in case, because spirits are known for draining battery power. I also made damn sure I knew exactly where I was at all times. This," and she waved her hand around at their surroundings, "is a whole different subject. There are bad guys in the woods and one of them is a stone-cold killer."

"Which is why we have to stop them," he said. "We need the plate from the Jeep and I want to know who they are."

"And you're worried about Tee," she guessed.

"That too."

Millie groaned softly. "Fine. But if something freaky starts happening, you're going to have one jumpy lady on your hands."

"You won't get very high before you hit the branches," he teased, causing her to glare at him, before she gave in and smiled.

"Real funny."

They were approaching Red's campsite and by now, there were several more vehicles, ATV's, parked nearby. A large camp fire was going and at least a dozen men in motorcycle leathers and gear were milling around, beer in hand, laughing and whooping about something. Red was sitting on what looked like a makeshift throne, with a blonde woman bobbing her head in his lap.

There were several tents nearby, and as they watched, a rough-looking gentleman came out of the tent, doing up his fly, and looking satisfied with himself. Red raised his beer at the man, who nodded his thanks at him before walking away.

"How was the bitch, Rocky?" one man called.

"Been wanting to pound her pussy for months!" Rocky, the man who had just come out of the tent, called back. "I pounded her, all right! Thanks, Red!"

"Who wants her next?" Red called out.

"Oh my god," Millie moaned softly. "They're raping the poor woman."

"We've got to get to her," Steve said, seeing a man heading for the tent from the other side of the camp ground. He was built heavy and had big hands and a nasty smile on his face. If the woman was Tee, she would not survive the assault from this monster. Millie followed him, moving quickly through the shadows to the back of the tent.

There was someone guarding the back of the tent, but he never saw Steve's arm go around his neck.

Tee froze when she heard a muffled thump and a faint groan as someone outside the back of her tent was attacked. A moment later, a woman with short brown hair, dressed in hiking clothes, stuck her head under the bottom of the tent, knife at the ready. A muscular man dressed in similar clothes followed at her gesture.

When they saw Tee, their eyes softened in sympathy.

Millie put a finger to her lips, and the bruised, battered, and possibly gang-raped, woman nodded, watching as she and Steve came into the tent. They had left their backpacks outside of the tent, but still had their knives.

"Are you Tee?" Millie hissed. The woman nodded. "I know what happened to Tommy, and I know what he said about you before Red killed him, which means I've got a pretty good idea what happened to you. If you stay, Red will kill you."

"I'm already dead," Tee mumbled; her jaw was broken.

"Not yet, and not if you come with me," Millie coaxed. "Otherwise, you really are dead, because in less than a minute another guy is going to come in here and I don't think you'll survive the encounter. He looks like a walking gorilla."

Tee whimpered in fear; she knew who he was and he had a reputation for breaking girls. She started pulling on her clothes, her hands shaking. She froze when the tent flap started rustling and a male voice called out.

"Hey Tee, ready or not, bitch. I got a big one just for you," the voice taunted. "So get ready to spread those legs of yours nice and wide for me, whore."

He stepped inside, the tent flap went down, and Steve grabbed him around the neck. It took a few seconds, with Millie helping by forcibly covering the man's mouth with a nearby discarded shirt, and grabbing his hand to stop him from grabbing at Steve, but he was eventually rendered unconscious.

"One down, God knows how many more to go," Millie said.

Tee watched as Millie and Steve took out their knives and used the floor tarp and blanket to bind and gag her would-be rapist.

"Hopefully that takes him a while to get out of that," Millie said, cutting his pants off. "And he would have to go commando," she grumbled.

Steve grinned at her. "Some things are better aired out," he quipped.

"Don't go there," Millie said. "Please, just don't go there."

"Let's go, and keep your head down. Things may get nasty," Steve said to Tee.

Tee nodded and dove under the back tent flap as she scrambled out of the tent.

"Boy do I ever wish I could un-see some things," Millie muttered as she joined them.

"Been there, done that," Steve said as they moved away from the camp site to a safe distance.

"Who are you?" Tee asked, looking at the couple who had just rescued her from a possible painful and humiliating death.

"On your side," Steve said. He carefully examined her mouth. "Your jaw is broken. You need medical treatment and you need it quickly, before the bone starts to knit in a way that would make setting it difficult."

"What about those bastards? What about Red?" Tee asked.

"We've been in contact with some friends; they're aware of the situation," Steve said. "Why'd you set Tommy up?" he asked, watching as Millie got out the satphone and sent Danny a message, appraising him of the situation.

"Because that bastard raped my fifteen year-old daughter," Tee said bitterly. "So I tried to set Red on him, but he must've said something to him, because I'm suddenly being accused of insulting his manhood and all that."

"Tommy claimed you set him up because you were pissed he wouldn't sleep with you," Millie explained, using some water and a face cloth from her backpack to clean the woman's face. "Something about you claiming Red couldn't get it up enough to satisfy you, and you even offered him what you called bonuses."

"He can't get it up," Tee said. "He hasn't been able to get it up for months, but I don't say a word because I'm safe with him, or so I thought."

"What's his real name anyway?" Millie asked.

"Redford Harris," Tee said. "I'm Tegan Young."

"Tegan, I'm Steve McGarrett, and this is Millie Phelps. We're with Five-0," Steve said, as Millie imputed the information into the satphone. "Want to help us bring him down?" he asked, an idea coming to mind.

"Does it involve pain?" Tegan asked, accepting the water and painkiller he offered her. It was difficult for her to swallow the painkiller, but she did it. She was alive and for the sake of her baby girl, she would fight to the death, and if that meant allying herself with Red's enemies, then she would do just that.

"There's a good chance, yes," Steve said.

"Then I'm all in. What do we do?"

"For starters, where are the guns and who are we dealing with?" Steve asked.

Millie's eyes had gone wide as she read the satphone screen. "A very dangerous, very evil man, with a record a mile long, according to Danny. If it's bad, he's done it. He has a known second-in-command by the name of Frank Haskins, suspected of several murders as well. Both are part of a gang called Tiger Manō."

"Tiger shark," Steve said. "Wonderful."

"Apex predators, right? They'll eat anything and everything," Millie said.

"And next to the Great White, they're one of the most dangerous," Steve said.

"Which is exactly what Red is like," Tegan said. "He's dangerous when he's got blood in sight."

"What's your daughter's name?" Millie asked. "Danny wants to check on her, maybe get a statement from her."

"He won't hurt her," Steve promised Tegan. "He's got a kid of his own, and so does another member of our team. We'll make sure she gets the help she needs to deal with this."

"You promise?" Tegan demanded. Both Steve and Millie nodded. "Rose. Rose Angel Young. She's my baby and I may not have always done right, but I've tried to do right by her."

"Where can we find her?" Millie asked. Tegan told her, and Millie sent Danny the address. A moment later, she got the confirmation. "If need be, we'll take her into protective custody." She put the satphone away and smiled nastily as a few ideas started coming to her. "Now, about Red. Are you familiar with the Hawaiian kupua legends?"

Steve smiled as he realized what Millie was talking about. _This was going to be good._


	69. Chapter 69

**Chapter 69**

Danny double-checked his phone, which had the address of Rose Young, Tegan Young's fifteen year-old daughter. Kono was with him and the plan was to try and talk to her, try and get a statement about the rape Tegan was claiming had happened. Once they had gotten Redford Harris's name, the rest of the names had surged forward. Tommy was possibly Thomas Delacrox, a small-time nobody who had shown up on the Tiger Manō radar a few months back. But there were also several other men in the gang who had similar names, so they had brought a photo line-up of all the known gang members going by the name of Tom and Tommy, just in case.

"I hate doing this," he muttered under his breath.

"I'm not fond of it either, but we need to know, and we need to make sure she's got or getting help," Kono said.

"Yeah, I know, I know," Danny said. "I'm going to be calling Grace afterwards, though." Kono nodded in understanding.

They got out of the car and headed for the simple bungalow house. It wasn't anything fancy, but the yard and front garden looked cared for, as did the simple porch. When Danny knocked on the door, the porch light went on and someone called out.

"Who's there?"

"Detective Danny Williams and Officer Kono Kalakaua, Five-0 Taskforce," Danny said, holding up his badge up to the peephole in the door. A young teenage girl cautiously opened the door, looking at them nervously. She had straight brown hair that hung around her face and a nasty bruise around her eye.

"Hi sweetheart. Are you Rose Young?" Kono asked gently, holding up her badge. Rose nodded carefully. "I'm Kono, and this is Danny."

"My mom's not here," Rose said, still not coming out from behind the door.

"We know. We know she's with Redford Harris, and she told us that Tommy raped you," Kono said. "Would you be willing to talk to us about that?"

Rose's eyes filled with tears and she shook her head rapidly. "I can't. He said he would hurt me more if I talked to the cops," she whimpered.

"I have it on good authority that he's dead," Danny said soothingly. "Red shot him about two hours ago. He can't hurt you, babe. Not now, and not ever again."

"But we do need a statement from you, and we want to make sure you're getting help," Kono said.

"Are you sure he's dead?" Rose asked, tears sliding down her face. "This isn't some game you guys are playing to try and gain my trust or something, because of who my mom is?"

"This is no game. We heard it straight from the horse's mouth," Danny assured her, taking out his phone and sending a message to Steve's satphone, requesting proof via Tegan. A moment later, he got a message back. "I just sent a message to my partner, who saw the murder, asking your mom for proof, because she's with him and his girlfriend right now. She says, _Angel the bastard is in hell, just like I promised. Red took care of him good and proper._"

Rose collapsed on the floor, crying, and Kono quickly went to her, wrapping her arms around her and hugging her tightly. After a moment, everyone moved inside and Kono and Rose sat on the couch while Danny checked the kitchen for coffee and tea stuff. Millie had introduced him to the concept of chamomile tea and he found it to be soothing and comforting for victims.

_I'm getting soft in the head_, he thought to himself as he made cups of Tetley's chamomile mint tea that he found in the cupboards. _Millie's starting to rub off on me_. _ Next thing I know, I'll be listening to that Yanni music and kangarooing baby kitties against my chest_._ Steve would laugh his ass off at me. That guy never can stay out of trouble, can he? Has to go charging head-first into it, again. Neanderthal. Why do I put up with him? And now I have to talk to a rape victim who reminds me of Gracie. I'm glad that Tommy bastard is dead because if I had gotten my hands on him, I would have killed him myself. Maybe_.

He took the cups of tea and headed for the living room, where Rose sat, still cuddled against Kono. She had stopped crying, but was still sniffing. A box of tissues was nearby. Danny put the tea on the coffee table and snagged a couch throw from the back of the couch and wrapped it around the girl.

"Okay, before we do anything else, I need to show you something. It's a photo line-up, because there were several guys by the name of Tommy with the Tiger Manōs, and we weren't given a last name," Danny said. "Now, we've got a pretty good idea who this Tommy is, but we need your confirmation. Are you willing to do that?"

Sniffling, Rose nodded, and Danny brought out the photo line-up, which showed six men in total, all with the name Tom or Tommy. It only took Rose a second to jab her finger at the one named Tommy Delacrox.

"That's him. That's Tommy," Rose said. Danny took out a pen and asked her to sign her name under the picture, which she did. In the eyes of the court, it was proof that she had seen and identified her rapist.

"Okay, I'm going to call Victim Services and someone is going to come here and get a statement from you," Danny said. "I know you don't want to talk about it, but it will help, I promise, and these people, these Victim Services people, they are really good. They'll help you with whatever you need. Right now, I need to know, are you here by yourself?"

Rose nodded. "It's just me and Mom. We take care of each other. Sometimes guys from that biker gang show up to check on me, but after Tommy, I haven't let anyone come in. Not again. Never again," she said, starting to cry.

Danny and Kono looked at each other. They both had the same thought; that was how Tommy had raped Rose, by 'checking' on her.

Danny excused himself to make his calls, while Kono continued to talk to Rose. "Okay, neither of us feel safe with you being here by yourself, so for now, you're going to spend the night with a team member of ours. His name is Captain Lou Grover, and he has a teenage daughter about your age. Her name is Samantha. You'll be safe with them. For one thing, Lou is a former SWAT captain, and his wife, Rene, is pretty formidable herself. They also have a teenage son, Brandon, who's a pretty good kid himself."

"What about Mom?" Rose asked worriedly.

"Right now, your mom is with my boss, so she's safe, if that's what you're worried about. We'll let her know what's going on as soon as we can," Kono assured her.

Rose looked at the woman with almond-shaped eyes, tanned skin, and dark shoulder-length hair. She had a gun on her hip, next to a gold badge, and the nicest smile she'd seen on a cop. If she really was this mythical Five-0 Taskforce, then maybe she really was safe, and it would be nice not to spend the night alone.

"Could I see your badge?" she asked. Kono willingly handed her badge over to her and she studied it, running her fingers over the raised surface. Despite the fact that it was made of metal, the badge felt warm. She looked at Kono again and saw in her a strength and kindness that made her want to try and be brave, just like Kono. She handed Kono back her badge, just as Danny rejoined them.

"Okay, someone from Victim Services is on their way over. We'll stay with you for that, and then Lou and Rene are expecting you," he said, his phone still against his ear, having overheard Kono and made the call. Lou had nearly blown a gasket when the situation had been explained and then promised to have a warm bed made up for Rose and asked him to find out what kind of pizza she liked. "Lou wants to know what kind of pizza you like because he's suddenly decided it's pizza night."

Rose's face lit up. "I love Papa John's Pizza, especially the one called The Meats. It's got pepperoni, sausage, beef, and two kinds of bacon."

"You catch that, Lou?" Danny asked, having switched his phone to speaker.

"_A girl after my own heart,_" Lou said. "_One extra large Meats pizza from Papa John's coming up._"

"They have a website you can order from," Rose said. "Mom and I do it all the time."

"_And my wife just showed me the website and I'm drooling over their Works,"_ Lou said. "_It ain't no Chicago Deep Dish, but it sure looks good. Catch you on the fly, kiddo._"

After Danny hung up, he explained. "Lou and his family are originally from Chicago. Seems you can take the man out of the city, but you can't take the pizza out of the man."

"What about you? Are you from here?" Rose asked, curious.

"Me? No, no, I'm from Jersey," Danny said.

"Even after six years here, he still won't touch pizza with pineapple on it," Kono teased. "But one of our teammate, Millie, she _loves_ pineapple, and she's from Oregon. She made him a pineapple meatball Steve says he practically devoured."

"Hey, it was good! But pineapple on a pizza? No, that is the fastest way to ruin a perfectly good pizza," Danny shot back.

"In that case, your friend would probably love Papa John's Tropical Luau. It's got loads of pineapple on it, and so does their Hawaiian BBQ Chicken pizza," Rose said.

"That sounds really good," Kono said, grinning.

Danny wrinkled his nose. "Not a chance," he said, causing Kono to laugh. "Where do you go to school?" he asked, sitting in the chair next to the couch. For the next fifteen minutes, until the woman from Victim Services showed up, Kono and Danny deliberately kept Rose talking about everything and anything, except the rape itself.

Then the woman showed up. She was a heavy-set woman in her late forties, with her hair pulled back in cornrows that was pulled back into a ponytail. She had kind eyes and a quick smile, which she gave Danny when she saw him.

"Detective Williams, how nice to see you again, even though I wish the circumstances were better," the woman said, accepting his hug.

"Good to see you too, Martha. Thanks for coming," Danny said.

"I'm always happy to help," Martha said, coming inside the bungalow. "What's the situation?"

"A fifteen year-old girl who was raped by a gang member recently, but we don't know exactly when. Her name is Rose. We came across the information through Steve because he witnessed the rapist's murder and was told he was set up by Rose's mother because of the rape. Rose's mother, Tegan, is a member of the same gang and the known girlfriend of the gang's boss. At the moment, that's all the information we have, but we need to know what happened so Rose doesn't have to deal with this alone," Danny explained.

"Has she been able to identify her attacker?" Martha asked.

Danny nodded. "We put together a photo line-up and she picked him out and signed the sheet," Danny said. "Her mom's with Steve and Millie up in the Reserves (I'm still trying to figure that one out) so we'll be taking her over to Lou's for the night and then we'll figure things out from there."

"Okay, that's good."

"Lou and his wife are expecting her and Lou's already declared it pizza night," Danny said.

"Never a bad thing with teenagers," Martha said, grinning broadly. "Teenagers just _love_ pizza. I know my boys sure do!"

"Yeah? How's your oldest doing, Shane, I think you said his name was?" Danny asked, grinning as he lead her to where Rose and Kono were seated.

"The poor boy is giving himself constant headaches these day. He's gotten so tall he forgets to duck when he comes into the kitchen and hits the wall bridge thing," Martha said, chuckling. "I'm thinking I'm going to have to hire someone to have that contraption removed before Shane gives himself a concussion."

"I might know someone who could help you with that. One of Millie's brothers just moved to the island, and he's a master carpenter who's been in the business for years," Danny said.

"Send him my way, sugar, and I'll show him some good home cookin' for his time."

"I'll do that," Danny promised, grinning. "Rose, this is Martha Adders, from Victim Services. She's going to take your statement and ask you a few questions. Both Kono and I will be right here."

Martha smiled warmly at the shy teenage girl as she sat down next to Rose, opposite of Kono. She reached into her bag and pulled out a legal pad, pen, and a digital voice recorder.

"Okay, sweetheart, I know you don't want to talk about this, but we need to," Martha said. "Now, I've got this fancy recorder and it's going to record everything we say and it'll be transcribed later. Any notes I need to make, I'll make them on this nice legal pad. Are you comfortable with that?"

Rose nodded. Martha seemed to effuse warmth and comfort, making her think of warm chocolate chip cookies and hot apple cider. Instinctively, she knew she could trust this Martha.

Martha smiled and turned on the recorder. She stated the date, time, address, and people present and then turned to Rose.

"Okay, honey, tell me what happened," she said.

Tommy Delacrox stopping by one night when her mom was out... coming inside, asking to use the bathroom, even though Mom advised her to never let Tiger Manō gang member inside the house... calling her a sweet little thing... touching her hair... she told him to go and that was when he started getting rough... he hit her when she tried to run... having her clothes pulled off despite fighting as hard as she could...

Afterwards, Danny went to the garage and punched a hole in the wall. Then he sent a message to Steve.

_When you find the filthy bastard's body, put a bullet in his crotch for me. There has to be a special place in Hell for monsters like him._

_Will do_, Steve replied a moment later. _Bad?_

_Tell Tegan there's a hole in her garage wall and I will have it fixed_, Danny replied.

_Says don't worry about it. Going silent; there are ghosts in the forest tonight, and Halloween is coming early._

Danny's eyes went wide. _You've been hanging around Millie too much lately, buddy._

_;)_

Danny went back inside. "I think you and Millie need to stop hanging together," he said to Kono. "Steve just said there's ghosts in the forest tonight and Halloween is coming early."

Kono grinned. "Millie and Steve know about the legends of the kupuas. I would love to be there."

"Kupuas?" Danny asked.

"Demonic Hawaiian gods who can change shape at will," Rose said, wiping her eyes. "They can either be real mean or real nice, and they're pretty protective of members of their families. We studied them in History class. There's also the lapu, which is the visible form of a dead person. Many Hawaiians believe lapus can enter bone, which is why they won't carry pork around at night, unless the pork is covered with a special kind of leaf that makes the food untouchable to the dead."

"And if there's a dead body in the area, you can bet there's going to be a ghost or two hanging around," Kono said, grinning. "Especially knowing Millie and her love of a good ghost story. Plus, she had Mr. Iwa hanging around her house for a while."

Danny stared at them, eyes wide. "If those two bring home a ghost again, they are not setting foot around me until that ghost is gone! I get the hell scared out of me by Steve enough as it is! I swear that guy is deliberately trying to give me a heart attack some days!"

"Danny has the sane way of doing things," Kono explained to Rose. "Steve has the Navy SEAL way of doing things."

"You mean the crazy, insane, totally-out-of-his-tiny-mind, way of doing things! Things that no sane person would ever consider doing!" Danny shot back, causing Martha and Kono to grin wider. "Things that are going to get him killed one day, and I can't let him do that because that's my privilege!"

"I think Millie might have something to say about that," Kono said.

"Oh, so the rumors are true?" Martha asked.

"What rumors?" Danny asked.

"That Steve and Millie are seeing each other?" Martha asked.

"Been that way for a while," Danny said. "They behave during working hours, but off hours are a different matter."

"Ah, I see," Martha said, grinning.

In due time, Rose had an overnight bag and her school bag packed, just in case. Kono and Danny would be dropping her off at Lou's, and then Danny was going to head back to Headquarters to do some more research on this Tiger Manō gang. Grace was at a slumber party and Melissa was working an early shift in the morning, so he had time to himself.

"I don't trust that crazy son of a bitch," Danny said to Kono as they drove to Lou's place. "Not when it involves scaring the crap out of bad guys."

"Yeah, but that's probably the most fun those two have had in weeks," Kono said, grinning.

"Is that what you call it?" he asked sourly.

"Any chance they could get it on video?" Rose asked hopefully.


	70. Chapter 70

**Chapter 70**

They needed to know what was in the Jeep, see if there was anything they could use against the Tiger Manō's. Tegan assured them Red usually had several guns and all kinds of stuff in the back and glove compartment. Fortunately, it looked like the Jeep was a similar model to Millie's Blackbird, and it wasn't locked, so, with Steve acting as a lookout, Millie dug around and swiped whatever she could find.

Then they headed deep and away into the woods, far enough that anyone from the camp wouldn't spot them very easily.

"Three guns, varying types but same caliber," Millie said, showing them her treasures. "Road flares, rope, First Aid kit, tire iron, duct tape, Redbreast 12 Year Old Cask Strength Irish Whiskey, which is a hundred and fifteen percent proof, from the looks of it."

"Oh, I know that stuff," Tegan said. "Someone got that as a gift for him and he loves to show it off."

Steve smiled. "And it burns beautifully, especially if we mix it with gasoline."

"One of the ATV's might have some spare gas," Tegan offered.

It only took Steve a few minutes to find out. He came back carrying a 2.5 gallon gas can and a case of Kokanee bottled beer. "These guys love their alcohol, don't they?" he said, uncapping the bottles and dumping the beer. "We need someone's shirt."

"Thought you might say that," Millie said, holding up an oil-soaked men's shirt that had seen better days. "Molotov cocktails?"

"Mixed with alcohol, the flames aren't going to be boring," Steve said, carefully pouring some gasoline into the now empty beer bottles.

"And road flares and gasoline equal big boom, I hope," Millie said, ripping the shirt into strips.

"Very big boom," Steve said. "But before we can do that, we need to dose their campfire. We need the darkness."

"Would an explosion cause the campfire to go out?" Millie asked.

"It would at that," Steve said.

"Maybe you don't have to do that," Tegan said. "There's a really big cooler full of ice on one of the tables. I could dump that all over the fire if you could distract them long enough."

Millie and Steve looked at each other. "They're going to notice you're missing by now," Millie said.

"I know," Tegan said, "but I have no loyalty to Red or Frankie, not any more. If you can help me keep my baby safe, I'll do whatever you want, and right now, that fire has to go."

"I'll give you full credit, ma'am; you are one gutsy lady," Steve said. "Show me who Frankie is, and we'll take care of him."

Tegan pointed to a man who had entered the woods and was starting to take a piss against a nearby tree. "Him."

Steve went into stealth mode and darted after him, grabbing him by the neck and mouth and dragging him further into the woods. Frankie was out in seconds and quickly tied to a tree well away from the camp, eyes covered and mouth gagged. To add insult to injury, he was stripped of his clothes, right down to his skivvies. Then Steve noticed something near the tree; a freshly dug grave. He glanced up at Millie who raised an eyebrow.

"There's lupa," Millie said. "Ghosts. If anyone is going to be hanging around, it's going to be Tommy."

Steve nodded, and watched as Millie imputed the location of the grave on to the satphone.

"Someone's noticed I'm missing and Grod is as mad as hell," Tegan whispered when they rejoined her. "He shouting about how he got jumped by some guy and Red's getting mad at him."

Suddenly, Red jumped up from his throne and hit Grod across the face, knocking him to the ground. "Stop whining like a baby and find the bitch, you stupid fucker!" Red yelled, whipping out his gun and pointing it at a stunned Grod. "If that whore escapes because of you, I will personally put a bullet in your fucking head, you stupid son of a bitch!"

Tegan whimpered in fear and Millie grabbed her hand, trying to comfort her. "Why did you stay with him for so long?" she asked.

"It was better than the alternative," Tegan said bitterly.

Grod scrambled up and dove into the forest, yelling for Tegan. Once he was far enough into the woods, Millie went after him with her tire iron across the back of the head. He never even got to yell. Then, just like Frankie, he was stripped and tied to a tree. She stole his bandana and used it to cover the lower part of her face.

Someone had finally noticed Frankie was missing and two men started calling for him.

"We need to douse that fire," Steve said. "I can create enough of a distraction if you can pour water on that fire," he said to Tegan.

"Do it," Tegan said.

"I've got your back," Millie promised, watching the two men enter the woods, flashlights flashing.

Steve took one of the flares and dashed for the Jeep.

"Get ready," Millie said, watching Steve closely, while they moved around the camp so Tegan was closer to the table and the water cooler. "This is going to be close." She held up a hand. "One... two..." There was a bang and a flash of light as Steve sent a flare under Red's Jeep, causing people to yell and scramble towards the vehicle. "Now!"

Tegan dashed into the camp and shoved the table containing the water cooler over as hard as she could, causing the contents to splash on to the fire and dose it completely. Before she could run back into the woods, though, she tripped.

One of the men pounced on her and hauled her up by her hair, laughing as she kicked and swung.

"Hey boss, look who I just found! A little kitty cat!" the man chortled.

"Bastard!" Tegan yelled. "Rot in hell, the lot of you!"

Red came up to her and slapped her, hard, causing her to cry out in pain. "Where is Frankie, bitch?" he snarled.

"Fuck you!" Tegan yelled, trying to kick at him. "I kept your secret for months, you asshole! Months! And the minute someone starts badmouthing you and blaming me, you toss me to the wolves! Fuck you!"

"Let the bitch go," Red said to the man holding her. That was a mistake. The moment the man let Tegan go, she punched him in the nuts and then round-housed him across the head, sending him reeling.

"You want to kill me so much, fine. Do it like a man," Tegan spat out, tears rolling down her face as she kept her back to the forest. Millie had promised she had her back. "But I'm not dying on my knees. You can't get it up, Red, and you haven't been able to for months. You're not just at half-mast, you're at no mast!"

Millie pulled her stolen bandana up around her face and made sure her head was covered by her hood. Then she checked her gun and pulled back the hammer. She could not afford to miss and, unfortunately, she could not afford to let a rabid dog like Red live. For the first time in her life, she was going to have to shoot to kill.

_Please, whoever's listening, forgive me for what I must do. Give me the strength to do what needs to be done, and a steady hand to make the shot so I can get a mother home to her daughter_, she prayed, raising the gun and aiming it at Red's bald head, using her tree for support. _This man deserves to die and the woman does not. She was trying to protect her child, and I promised her I would protect her._

_He ikaika, keiki,_ someone whispered. Something brushed her forehead, and once again, she smelled hibiscus flowers where there were none.

"You're dead, bitch," Red snarled, levelling his gun at Tegan's head.

"_Wrong_," Millie suddenly said from the shadows, her voice muffled by her bandana. "_You are_."

Red looked up in shock, gun swinging up with him, ready to shoot, but Millie fired first. His head snapped back and a perfectly round bullet hole appeared just above his eyes. He fell to the ground without a sound, eyes wide and staring at nothing.

The forest had gone silent and no one said anything, not even moving to stop Tegan as she scrambled into the underbrush. Steve watched as Millie made sure Tegan was okay before moving away from her spot as quickly and quietly as she could, catching up with Steve, Tegan in tow. No one made a move to follow her; they were too afraid they were going to be the next one to die.

"Nice shot," Steve said softly to Millie. "Are you okay?"

"Can I get back to you on that, please?" she asked, staring at her victim, feeling her hand gun hand starting to shake.

He covered her hand with his, understanding. She had just made her first kill, and that was never an easy thing to do.

"Who's out there?" one man called, finally getting bold.

Steve began to move quickly around the camp site, staying in the shadows, a flare and Moltov cocktail in one hand. He started laughing, trying to imitate a maniac-sounding laugh. Millie joined him, laughing, also moving. Tegan also started laughing, and several men and women started looking very nervous.

"We are kupua!" Steve shouted, muffling his voice as much as possible. "You have defiled our land!"

"You killed Red!" someone else yelled.

Steve gestured at Millie to speak.

"You raped a mother who only sought to protect her child, a child who was raped by one of you!" Millie yelled back, managing to infuse a British accent in her voice. _Thank you Science of Stupid_, she thought, moving quickly but quietly, as per the unspoken plan.

"We didn't rape Tee's daughter!" the first man yelled back, scanning the forest as best as he could.

"Tommy did!" Steve yelled from a different position.

"Red killed Tommy!" one of the men who had witnessed the murder, said desperately.

"We know," Millie said just loudly enough for them to hear her, but it wasn't at shouting level.

"We know," Steve echoed, gesturing that it was almost time for the gas explosion.

"We know everything," Millie said, moving well away and hiding behind a tree.

"We didn't know Tommy had raped Rose!" another man pleaded.

"But you raped her mother on the word of another!" Steve yelled, getting ready to activate and toss the Moltov cocktail. "You defiled our land with your evil deeds! You deserve to die!"

And with that, he activated the flare, lit the cocktail bomb and threw both of them straight towards the campfire. The bottle hit the rocks around the campfire, shattered, and Steve hit the ground, just as there was a massive explosion.

Millie grinned to herself. _So that's what happens when road flare meets gasoline and high proof whiskey_, she thought. _We get big boom!_


	71. Chapter 71

**Chapter 71**

The explosion had knocked several people flying and created quite a bit of a mess. Steve cautiously approached the area, pulling his hoodie up around his face. The area was now in total darkness, aside from the light cast by the scattered burning gasoline and whiskey. A number of people were complaining about being blind and deaf, thanks to the bright flash and noise caused by the explosion.

Then someone spotted him and yelled out.

"Who are you?" the girl cried out.

Steve started laughing maniacally. Then he pointed to one of the men who he knew had helped bury Tommy. There was a small explosion somewhere in the camp, heads snapped towards the explosion, and Steve took that opportunity to dash behind a tree, 'disappearing'.

"This is crap!" someone yelled. "Someone's playing games with us and I say we kill the fucker!"

Steve watched as Millie suddenly appeared out of nowhere and grabbed one of the girls, arm around her neck and hand over her mouth, dragging her into the darkness of the woods. He suspected Millie would be a little more merciful towards the girl than they had been towards the men.

Millie watched as Tegan studied the girl, who was wriggling and squirming against her bonds and gag. She had been taped and hogtied by both her and Tegan.

"Tommy raped my Rose," Tegan hissed to the girl. "She's only fifteen and she didn't deserve that. Fifteen, Jess, just_ fifteen years old!_ He deserved to die, but I didn't deserve to be raped like that! I was trying to protect my baby!" The girl, nineteen, twenty at the most, stared at Tegan, eyes filling with tears. "If this lady and her guy hadn't saved me, Grodd would have killed me and my baby would have never seen me again. How fair is that to her, when she did nothing to deserve that?"

Millie looked at the girl. "Red is dead, and by the time we finish with this joker of a gang, the Tiger Manōs are never going to be the same again." The girl nodded, tears sliding down her face. "You have a choice. Help us stop them, or I will haul your sorry ass in as an accomplice to murder and rape, because you knew and you did _nothing_ to stop it, and as Five-0, I can and I will." The girl nodded, fear in her eyes. Millie glanced at Tegan. "Remove her gag, but if she tries to scream, I'll hit her so fast she'll be in La-la Land before she realizes it. Understood?"

The girl nodded again and Tegan cautiously removed her gag. The girl didn't scream, but she did start crying softly. "I'm sorry," she whimpered. "I'm so sorry, Tee, I'm so sorry. Red and Frankie... The other girls and I... Once Red decided something, none of us dared to go against him, or we'd be joining you in the tent."

"Frankie is still alive, and so is Grodd," Millie said. "Help us put an end to this."

She nodded. "What do you want me to do?"

"My guy is playing ghost with the remainder, but sooner or later, one of them is going to check Tommy's grave," Millie said, watching Steve move through the woods. He quickly took out another gang member and tied him up using the man's own clothes.

The girl's eyes lit up. "Dig him up and move his body. That's always Grade A horror movie perfect," she said eagerly, shaking off the ropes as Tegan untied her.

"You're a fan?" Millie asked as they started heading for where Millie knew Tommy was buried.

"Big time. I'm working at a movie theater, when I'm not doing this gig, but I really want to get into film school, and Frankie kinda promised he'd help me with that. Don't know if I should believe him anymore though," Jess said.

"I wouldn't," Tegan said. "He's just using you. You'll never get into film school, except in your dreams." Then her eyes lit up. "But I know where Red kept a shit load of money."

"Wouldn't that be stealing?" Jess asked worriedly.

"After what that bastard did to me, that money is mine and if I decide you're going to film school, kiddo, then you're going to film school. Just promise me you'll never, ever do this stuff again," Tegan said coldly.

Millie looked at the women, then shrugged. "I know nothing. Once we unbury Tommy, you two need to leave. You get a fair head start, you what you need and want, and you get the hell out of Dodge, because once this is over, the shit is going to hit the fan, and you need to see a doctor about that jaw of yours."

"Fine," Tegan said, already thinking of the half a million in cash she knew was in Red's office safe.

Frankie was still where he'd been left before, but now he was conscious and squirming against his bonds. Jess glared at him. Steve joined them and, mindful of the fact that Frankie could hear them, Millie used her hands to explain what was about to happen. He smiled.

Working quickly, they dug up Tommy's body, being sure to make it look like he had exploded from the earth. Then, while Steve forced Frankie to move with a gun in the back of his head as an added incentive, Millie, Jess, and Tegan moved Tommy's body to a different location.

They ran into a problem when Frankie suddenly, blindly, kicked out at Steve, catching him in the groin, and started running blindly towards the camp, guided by the faint light he could see under his blindfold. Before anyone could stop him, he stumbled into the camp, only to be accidently shot by a trigger-happy gang member.

"Oh hell," Millie mumbled, eyes wide, watching as Frankie fell to the ground, dead.

"Oh hell is right," Steve groaned. Frankie had a kick like a mule and he had managed to catch him in that one spot no guy liked being kicked.

"They're going to panic," Jess guessed, swallowing hard.

Millie handed her the keys to one of the ATV's. "Get the hell out of here, now," she hissed. "We'll keep them busy for as long as we can, but you leave and you do not come back. Do you understand me?" Both women nodded. "Once you get down to the base, you call this number. It belongs to Detective Danny Williams. He is aware of this situation. You call him and he will come and get you and take you to a hospital." She rattled off a number and watched as Jess added it to her cellphone. "Now, get the hell out of here and do not look back."

Both women nodded, but before they left, Millie and Steve were hugged tightly by Tegan. "Thank you for everything," she whispered.

Then they were gone.

"Now what?" Millie asked, listening to the sound of an ATV roaring through the wood, accompanied by the sound of panicking men and women.

"Now we finish this," Steve said. "We've got a couple of scared, trigger-happy guys and a couple of girls caught in the middle, plus three dead bodies. One more wrong move, and there's going to be more dead bodies before the night is over."

"And we still have Grodd to deal with. That ape is going to be a problem if he gets loose."

"Heads up," Steve said, seeing flashlights heading for them. Someone was looking for Tommy's grave. It was time to move.

As they moved through the forest, evading the searchers, they discussed what to do next.

"Sooner or later, they're going to wise up," Millie said. "We can't keep this up forever, and there are several pissed off people there, not to mention injuries."

"And two of their leaders are dead," Steve said. "We offer them a deal. Surrender and sit tight until the sun comes up, or keep this up and someone else gets hurt. We may have to do some more shooting to get the point across though."

"I don't exactly relish the idea but okay."

A frightened yell went up when someone saw Tommy's empty grave.

"They found the grave," Steve guessed. He ducked down and watched as one of the girls started easing towards the edge of the forest, right about where he and Millie would be. She looked to be in her early twenties and was dressed way too lightly for that time of night. In fact, Millie was sure she was the one who had given Red his last little lap treat. Now she was looking like she really didn't want to be there.

He grabbed her, slapping his hand over her mouth and his arm around her waist, lifting her up off the ground. Her eyes went wide when she saw Millie's gun aimed at her face.

"Your choice, darling," Millie said softly, following Steve as they moved deeper into the shadows. "You can join Red and Frankie and Tommy, or you can shut up and do as you're told. I really don't care."

The girl stared at her, breathing hard, eyes wide with fear. She nodded and Steve put her against a tree, quickly tying her hands above her head and to the tree, while Millie kept a watchful eye. She whimpered when Steve slapped some duct tape on her mouth.

Then, working quickly, Millie and Steve kidnapped another girl and tied her to the same tree. Both girls, too afraid of their captors, behaved. Predictably, the men from the gang started getting more and more nervous. There was someone out there they couldn't see, could only just here, and that someone, god knows how many, had a gun and were making their women disappear.

Then Grodd tried to escape. Steve responded by wrapping a rope around his neck and the tree that tightened ever time Grodd tried to move.

"The more you move, the more it tightens," Steve hissed at him. "Are you really that eager to join your boss? Oh, and by the way, I'm Five-0 and you are in a world of trouble."

Grodd finally stopped squirming.

With their numbers reduced in half, the rest of the gang decided it would be better to stay put and batten down for the remainder of the night. No one else wanted to die. However, between Millie and Steve, two more girls and one more guy disappeared, bringing the total up to four girls and two guys, not including Grodd. The remaining five gang members slept with their backs to each other.

The girls were given a choice; walk away and never come back, or be charged with accessory to rape and murder. The men, on the other hand, were held, with the exception of one, Zed Kalea, who swore on his life he had nothing to do with either Tommy's murder or Tegan's gang rape. Unfortunately, with the Tiger Manōs, once you were in, you were in for life and you did what the boss said, or you were sleeping with the fishies. After a through interrogation, he was allowed to leave with the girls on the condition he not be hard to find afterwards, and his name was forwarded to Danny for later.

Finally, the sun came up five bleary-eyed gang members dove for the remaining ATV and Red's truck, thinking they could escape the horror of the night.

They were wrong. Waiting for them at the base of the reserve were members of the HPD, having been alerted to the situation by Danny, courtesy of Steve and Millie.

"Good morning, boys!" one HPD sergeant chortled. "Welcome to the start of the worst day of your life! Your nightmare is about to start!"

One of the gang members stared at him, eyes red with lack of sleep and badly hung-over. "Man, you ain't no nightmare. Compared to the shit we just went through, you're practically a freakin' wet dream."

"We are finishing our damn camping trip. I will not let a bunch of murdering bastards get in the way of what little time I get with you!" Millie said, watching as HPD officers came on to the camp site, alerted by Danny. They would fill out the reports later, much later.

He grinned at her. "Fair enough. Let's just grab some coffee from these guys, and then we'll go back."

"I can live with that," she huffed. "Then once we get the tent set up, or whatever, I need a nap. It's been nearly twenty-four hours since I last slept." She gave a jaw-splitting yawn she couldn't quite stop.

"We'll take the easy route this time," he promised. Ten minutes, tops, back to their original camp site, and then another ten to get their tent set up again.

Half an hour later, with the HPD informed and the bodies in the process of being hauled away, Millie was sound asleep in her sleeping bag, snuggled against Steve. He smiled down at her. For all her fears of heights and being alone in the dark, for all her stubbornness, she was a kind, caring, gutsy woman and he was glad to have her with him. Despite the fact that she had taken a life for the first time in her life, he knew she knew it had to be done and she had done it without hesitating, because someone else's life had been on the line.

"Stay with me, babe. You and me, we're going places," he whispered softly, pressing a kiss to her temple, before giving into the lure of sleep. Danny would no doubt cuss them out later, but that was later. For now, there was peace in his world.


	72. Chapter 72

**Chapter 72**

Millie stared at her brother, trying to decide whether or not she was going to hit him or hug him later.  
A bank robbery had gone down with Sam as one of the bank patrons caught in the middle. The robbers had gotten caught and were now holding hostages until they could escape. During the shooting, one of the guards had been hit and two innocent civilians had been hit by ricochets.

Millie has been conscripted as an undercover paramedic, in part due to her emergency first aid training, the fact that she wasn't as well recognized as the rest of the Five-0 team, and it was her brother in there. Coloured green contacts, glasses that were outfitted with a hidden camera, and an auburn red wig altered her appearance enough to pass a glancing inspection by the robbers.

"How many?" she hissed as she worked with her paramedic co-worker, a charming former Navy corpsman by the name of Dale.

"Five, but one's in bad shape. One of the guards got off a shot that winged him pretty good," Sam shot back. "Couple of scared kids."

"Escape?" Dale asked.

"Out the back, maybe. I think I saw them packing explosives."

"We need to get the kids out," Millie said, hearing Steve say "_Damn it_," in her earwig.

"Be careful. Looks like the leader is doped up on something. He's real twitchy," Sam warned.

"Hurry up!" one of the robbers demanded, waving his Uzi at them. Millie could see sweat dripping down his collar from under his white harlequin mask, the same mask the other three robbers wore. They also wore all-black outfits and carried either Uzis or Micro Uzis.

"They're padded," Dale guessed, glancing at the robbers while working on his patient, one of the guards who had taken a hit to his stomach. He was critical but if they could get him out, he stood a chance.

"To a point," the guard groaned softly. "Hit one of the bastards in leg."

Millie looked up at the robber who was watching them nervously. "One of your guys is down. Let me have a look at him."

"Fine, but if you do anything stupid..."

"I get the idea," Millie said, grabbing her bag and heading for the fallen robber, who's skin was matching his mask. Blood was pooling out from under his leg and through the cloth tied around his leg. "You are in poor shape, my fine friend," she said, snapping on a fresh pair of gloves.

The robber just grunted, watching her closely as she started cutting off his pant leg so she could get a closer look at the wound. It was a through-and-through and easy to tend to. She held up a bottle of a heavy-duty sedative that had been altered to look like an antibiotic, as per a suggestion from one of the other on-site paramedics. She had also been given a crash course in how to give an injection. "This is an antibiotic. I'm going to give it to you and it will help combat any infection you may get," she said. "Do you understand?"

The robber snatched the bottle and examined it closely, not trusting her. "Fine," he growled, shoving it back at her.

"Left or right?" she asked. He gave her his left arm, she swabbed it, and then filled the syringe with the sedative, based on the dosage recommendation by the paramedics. "Bottoms up," she said, giving a swift jab and injecting the sedative. "And we're good to go, unless you want to come with me?" she asked.

"Fuck you, bitch. I ain't going with you just to land on the coppers," the man snarled.

"Fine, but you do need to see a doctor, because this is a patch job, not a repair job," she shot back, heading for one of the bank tellers.

"_Five minutes before he realizes he's been doped up,_" Steve said. "_Time to move_."

Millie ignored him. "Hey there, sugar," she said, seeing the woman's name tag, Shania. "I'm your friendly neighbourhood paramedic today." Shania whimpered, holding her bleeding shoulder, where one of the robbers had shot her. She was too afraid to talk, for fear of retribution from the robbers. Millie smiled reassuringly at her. "It's going to be okay," she said, starting to apply gauze and tape to the woman's shoulder. "I see you're a diabetic. Is your sugar level okay?" she asked, noticing a MedicAlert bracelet on the woman's wrist. The woman nodded jerkily. Millie took out some rapid-dissolve glucose tablets and handed them to her. "Okay, I don't know how long this is going to take, so if you think you're having glucose problems, this should help. Is there anything I should know about?"

Shania whispered something and Millie leaned closer, bringing her hidden mic closer to the woman's mouth. "Inside job," she whispered again. "Gerald Patton, access codes."

"_Inside job_," Steve repeated. "_Gerald Patton, access codes. Millie, get out of there now. Do not argue with me._"

"You're going to be just fine," Millie soothed Shania, gathering up her gear. She rejoined Sam and Dale. "Time to go. Are we good?"

"Tell Ashley I'm going to be late for our date tonight," Sam said.

"Wilco," Millie said, helping Dale load their patient and gear up. They would carry the man between them. She looked up at the robber who had been following her. "Let the kids go," she pleaded. "Please. They're scared and that's only going to make things worse."

"_Millie_," Steve growled.

"If you want to keep someone, fine, keep me, but let the kids go," she begged, ignoring him again. She knew he was probably going to rip into her after this, for not following orders, but she also knew she had to try.

Steve started swearing mentally. He was going to kill his girlfriend for this. He had not been comfortable with the idea of Millie going in undercover as a paramedic, but she had done so, and now she was trying to negotiate with the robbers to get the kids out.

"She's a gutsy one," one of the SWAT men said.

"She's Five-0; she has to be," one of the officers said.

She's also my girlfriend, Steve wanted to say, but he kept his mouth shut.

"_There's no need for the kids to be here_," Millie pleaded, looking at one of the robber who Sam had identified as being the leader. "_Let them go. This doesn't have to get any worse than it already is_."

A moment later the robber nodded. "_Kids only_," he growled, gesturing with his Uzi.

"_Thank you_," Millie said. There was a crackling noise and Steve watched as Millie covertly managed to give Sam her earwig and Bluetooth pen. This would allow them to still have an ear on the inside.

_Good thinking,_ Steve thought. _Maybe I won't strangle you after all._

"Kids coming out!" Danny called to officers, who quickly scrambled into position.

A moment later, four frightened children burst out of the bank, followed by Millie and Dale and the injured guard between them. The children were scooped up by SWAT and brought behind the lines where they could be checked over and questioned and reunited with their parents or guardians.

The injured guard was turned over to the waiting paramedic team in the ambulance and quickly sent away.

Millie rejoined her team, her heart pounding. "I know, I know, I disobeyed orders," she said, holding up a hand as she removed her glasses, "but I got the kids out of there. That's got to count for something, right?"

"It does. Well done," Steve said. "Don't do it again."

"Yes sir," she said, smirking.

"She is going to do it again," Danny said, grinning.

"_We have movement_," one of the snipers radioed. "_Just had a TheBus pull up near the back._" TheBus was Honolulu's public transit service bus system.

"Are there any bus stops in the area?" Chin asked the SWAT captain, Tyler, brow furrowing.

"There is, but the whole block is cordoned off. There shouldn't be any buses in the area at all," Tyler said.

"Looks like we just figured out their escape route," Steve said. "Get that bus plate number, discretely, and find out if anyone is missing a bus."

"That would be my job," Millie said, picking up her cellphone. Five minutes later, thanks to a willy rookie plainclothes HPD officer, she had an answer. "None of the buses are missing in the sense that they've been stolen, but the plate number matches an out-of-service bus that was taken off the job three hours ago by an employee, supposedly to be transferred to another garage for some repair work that could only be done at the other garage."

"Do these buses have GPS trackers on them, just on the off chance?" Danny asked.

"They do, and they're sending the link my way now," Millie said, tapping her iPad. "Seems I owe the nice secretary over there a drink because, technically, she's not supposed to do this without direct authorization from her boss, but he's in a closed meeting off site and she can't reach him."

"We'll cover her ass," Steve promised.

"And we have the signal," Millie said.

"_They're moving everyone to the front_," the sniper reported. "_Looks like they're getting ready to move_."

"Hold your fire," Tyler said. "What are you thinking?" he asked Steve.

"We should be hitting rush hour pretty quick," Lou said. "Buses like them..."

"Real easy to blend in with the rush hour traffic," Tyler said. "And if the bus is saying Not In Service, they don't have to stop for anyone."

"Let them get on the bus," Steve said. "Then we follow them. By the time they get out of the area, they'll have ditched their disguises and hopefully the guns, which will make it easier for a take-down."

"Sounds like a plan," Tyler said.

"Just be prepared for a fight," Lou said.

"_Bad guys getting ready to move out_," Sam said over the radio. "_Something about explosives almost ready. We've been moved to the window_."

"We know. We can see you. Stay calm; this may almost be over," Steve said. "Ashley knows," he said, watching as Millie dialled Ashley's number and started explaining the situation to the worried woman.

"_Thanks_," Sam said. It had been three weeks since their double dinner date and Sam had made a point of talking with Ashley every day. He was still working at the SPCA and Gandalf had clearly taken to him to the point the elderly feline looked for him every time he came in. He didn't know it, but Millie had already covered Gandalf's adoption fees for Sam, as a gift and thank you.

As for why Sam had been at the bank that day, he had been about to transfer funds to purchase a house he'd settled on. The house was a fixer-upper but within Sam's skill levels. Based on the amount of work that needed to be done and the amount of time he had during the week, he was estimating about five to six months to have the house up to his standards. That would give him plenty of time to continue wooing Ashley, who didn't know what he'd done, not yet anyway.

Suddenly, there was an explosion from one side of the bank, away from the back entrance. Everyone hit the ground as dirt, brick, and other debris went flying.

"_We're okay!_" Sam called.

"Get everyone out!" Steve snapped.

"_Bad guys on the move and boarding the bus_," the sniper reported calmly. "_Bus is on the move_."

As frightened bank patrons and employees started pouring out of the building, Five-0 and SWAT scrambled for their respective vehicles while Millie tracked the bus. HPD had been given instructions to locate and detain Gerald Paton until further notice.

"Remember, stay back. We don't want to spook these guys," Steve said over the radio.

"They're headed for a warehouse," Millie reported. "Good place to ditch a bus and change vehicles."

"I know that area," Chin said, glancing at her iPad. He instructed a few unmarked cars on how to get ahead. "Surround them, ambush them, and hopefully we won't have too much of a fight."

"Don't bet on it," Millie said. "From what I could tell, the leader was a real jumpy fellow and I think Sam's right; the guy's doped on something." She rubbed her eyes. "I am never wearing contacts again," she muttered, wishing she could take the damn things out.

"You look real cute as a red head," Steve teased.

"And this stupid thing is coming off first chance I get, so enjoy the sight while you can, Chuckles," Millie shot back, blushing.

True to Millie's prediction, there was a firefight, initiated by the leader of the gang, who had been just as jumpy as Millie had predicted.

Despite her best efforts not to get involved, Millie was forced to shoot, winging one of the robbers in the leg when he tried to run.

"I never want to do that again!" she later snapped at Steve, seeing the damage around them.

"And I never want you to be involved in that again," Steve said, understanding her fear. That was the first gun battle she'd ever been involved in and he hoped and prayed it was her last. It had been hard for him to keep his mind on the fight without worrying about Millie and he knew that was a problem they were going to have to address if they were going to continue their relationship. "Head for my place afterwards, okay? And we'll talk some more about this."

She nodded, running a shaking hand through her wig, before cussing the offending thing. A paint ball fight was one thing, but this gun battle had been all-too-real.


	73. Chapter 73

**Chapter 73**

"I never want to do that again," Millie said later that night. Sam was safe, currently spending some time with Ashley. Right now, Millie and Steve were snuggled together on his couch, under a sherpa throw, dressed in their favourite lounge clothes, each with a beer and sharing a bowl of Chex and Cheerio mix she'd taught him how to make weeks ago. It was her favourite comfort food and right now, they needed all the comforts of home they could get at that moment.

"I don't ever want to do that again," she said.

"I don't want you to, either, but if I keep pulling you into the field like this, it's going to happen again," he said.

"And, unfortunately, you guys need me out there," she said.

"Yeah, we do," he admitted.

"And you're going to worry," she guessed.

"Hard not to."

"You think I don't? I do, every time I hear about something like that. I know it's part of your job, and I know you've been trained, but because I love you, I'm still going to worry."

"So what do we do? I can't keep you out of the field, but I can't not worry about you."

"Yes, you can. When situations like that happen, focus on the job and worry about me later."

"I'll try, but I would feel a lot safer if you got some formal training, the same kind the rest of us got. I know a few people who owe me favours who could train you."

"If it makes you feel more secure about me when I'm in the field, then okay, I will do the training, but I am not going to become a cop."

"Even though you're becoming a cop in your own right?"

"That's up for debate. By the way, is Basic Recruit Training as hard as it looks?"

"You thinking about it?"

"Batting the idea around."

"Talk to Kono and Chin. They can help you with that if you decide to go that route. You do come from a long line of cops, so I don't think you'll have any problems."

"I might have a slight advantage over the new recruits, though."

"Oh?"

"I already know how to shoot, and I already know how to fight dirty. And, if push comes to shove, I can always yell at you for help."

He laughed. "What makes you think I won't just toss you in the deep end for the hell of it?"

"Because you value your nuts and your peace of mind too much, that's why," she shot back.

"There is that."

Her phone suddenly rang, the ring tone indicating the caller was not on her contact list.

"Thompson," she said. There was no answer. "Listen, you stubborn son of a bitch, whoever you are, leave me alone. If you keep this up, I will find you and I will personally put a bullet in your kneecap! Now, what do you want?" She watched as Steve picked up his own phone and called someone, concern on his face. She switched her phone to speaker and watched as he quietly told someone the number on her display.

"_To see you suffer the way you made my cousin suffer_," a muffled voice whispered.

"Who is your cousin, freako?" she demanded. "Or are you too much of a wimp to come out and face me?"

"_I'm not a wimp, bitch, but I promise you, you will suffer for the humiliation you and that bitch officer caused. Kono will suffer by knowing you suffered, and then I will kill her too_."

"You want me, you come and get me, coward, and we'll talk about making people suffer," she shot back.

"_I'm not a coward! I'm not a coward!_" the muffled voice yelled angrily. "_You're a dead woman for humiliating my cousin! No one does that! No one! You're dead, bitch, dead, dead, dead!_"

And with that, the call ended.

Millie stared at Steve, eyes wide as he ended his call. "Danny couldn't track him. Burner phone that was bouncing all over the place," he said. "Any idea who it was?"

"Considering that was the most I'd ever gotten out of him in the two weeks since these weirdo calls started, not really."

"This has been going on for two weeks?" he demanded incredulously.

"I keep trying to trace the calls and they keep going back to a series of rotating burner phones, but since the calls were just that, calls with heavy breathing, I didn't think anything of it."

"Why didn't you tell me?" he demanded.

"Because I didn't think anything of it and I had nothing to go on, that's why. I've seen what happens with stalking cases, and I wanted more information and evidence before I went to you. I trust you, but I also know there's only so much any of us can do unless we have more information, and that call was the most I've gotten out of whoever it is in two weeks."

Her eyes pleaded with him to understand, and in some ways he did. Stalking cases were never easy to deal with, and oftentimes there was almost no evidence of any direct wrongdoing. He didn't like it, but she was right.

"You're right, you're right. Just promise me you'll be careful. We'll warn Kono and Adam as well. Do you have an idea who it might be?"

"Not at the moment, no, but I don't think we'll have to search too hard. I haven't been with you guys for very long and Kono and I haven't worked very many cases together, not the way this guy seems to be going on. We can do some file checking in the morning."

"Good idea. Now, I want your word that if this guy calls again, you'll tell me," he said.

She looked at him and realized he was serious. "I promise."

_Across town:_

"This place has a lot of potential," Ashley said, watching as Sam turned on a few lights in the growing evening darkness. He had surprised her by taking her to the house he'd just bought. He was still a bit rattled over the bank robbery business, but he was okay, and had assured Ashley just as much. First chance he got, he was bringing Gandalf here, to his new home. He had already brought over some of the basics, like a mattress and some kitchen supplies, stuff that would get him through while he completed the renovations.

"I think so too. It's going to take me at least six months to get it finished because of my day job, but it'll get done," he said, not seeing Ashley head for what was the master bedroom. He started opening a bottle of white wine, intent on what he was doing.

"I just have one question," she said.

"Yeah, what's that?" he asked, popping the cork.

"Do you find me sexually attractive?"

He froze and swallowed hard. Then, choosing his words carefully, he spoke, his back to her. "Yes, I do. I find you so damn sexy it hurts. It's a major fight with myself to keep my hands to myself and not kiss you to the point of ravishing you."

"So why haven't you?"

"Because I'm trying to be a gentleman and prove I'm serious about this."

He turned around, bottle and wine glasses in hand, and felt his mouth falling open. She was standing in front of his bed, wearing a nothing but a bra and panty that were little better than itty bitty scraps of purple lace. He was so hard so fast he was sure he'd set a personal record.

"Maybe I want you to ravish me," she said, coming up to him and starting to unbutton his shirt. "I even brought condoms, those textured ones that get rave reviews."

"They do, huh?" he said, putting the wine and glasses down and covering her hands with his. "Are you sure, absolutely sure? Because once we go that far, there's no turning back. And from what I'm seeing, if you keep this up, I'm going to have a damn hard time letting you out of my bed."

She shrugged. "Maybe I won't want to leave. Maybe I'm like you; playing for keeps."

"Sweetheart, I'm not playing," he said. "It's all in, or nothing."

"Even better, because that means that's something else we have in common," she said, looking at him shyly. "And I'm all in."

He hesitated for one more second, and then he was burying his hands in her silky hair and kissing her as if his life depended on it.

Later, much later, they finally got to the wine.

"Please tell me you have an overnight bag in your car," he said.

"I have an overnight bag in my car," she said, giggling.

"Good. Because you're not leaving tonight."

_Later that night:_

Steve and Millie slept with guns nearby. The house was secure, but that didn't stop Steve from being paranoid. After all, he'd seen stalking cases as well, and he knew how determined a stalker could be, especially an angry one. And Millie had made this new player very, very angry.

As they slept, someone quietly planted a GPS tracking device on Blackbird, which was parked in Steve's driveway. There was a house waiting just for her, and she was never going to leave it alive. Retribution would be his, and then he would make Kono suffer because when Millie died, so would she.

And his cousin would be so proud of him, he was sure of it. His cousin was just as angry at Millie and Kono as he was. He had said so often enough. But his cousin didn't talk about them anymore. He wondered if his cousin had given up on them. But he hadn't. He hadn't and he wouldn't forgive them for what they did, destroying his cousin's dreams like that. No, forgiveness was only for those who deserved it, and those two bitches sure as heck didn't deserve forgiveness.


	74. Chapter 74

**Chapter 74**

Someone knocked on Millie's office door and she looked up. To her surprise, it was Grace Williams.

"Hey kiddo. I don't think your dad's here right now," Millie said.

"That's okay. I'm not here to see Danno anyway," Grace said, coming into the office.

She liked Millie's office. There was a poster of Miss Piggy on one wall, saying _Don't mess with me, I know karate, kung fu, judo, tae kwon do, jujitsu, and 28 other dangerous words._ On her desk was a framed photo of Steve against a forest backdrop (no surprise there, because Danno said Uncle Steve and Millie were dating), and she also had a Bluetooth speaker behind her and a framed photo of who Grace had been told was Millie's biological father, Officer Keegan Phelps. Funny enough, there was even a three-gallon fish tank sitting on the top of her cabinet, where a pretty purple and red betta fish swam in the tank.

"What can I do for you, sweetie?" Millie asked, lowering the volume on her music.

"I need a really big favour," Grace said.

"I'm listening."

"We have a school Halloween dance party coming up on the 30th," Grace said.

"And you need help with the face painting," Millie guessed.

"Nope, because I'm going as Twilight Sparkle this year," Grace said. "But we don't have enough volunteers, and if we don't have enough volunteers for the dance party, we can't have the dance party." She gave Millie what she hoped was her best Poor Me look.

It worked.

Millie groaned softly and pulled her iPad towards her, checking her calendar. The 30th looked empty, except it was a Friday, which meant end of the month things. "I don't know. It's the end of the month, and that means paperwork."

"If you do, I won't show Danno the video we made of us doing the _Shake Your Tail_ dance," Grace said. Millie glared at her. "And it's only for three hours, so that leaves you lots of time afterwards. Plus there'll be special Halloween punch there, the kind with pineapple juice in it, so you won't get thirsty," she coaxed. She didn't tell Millie someone had said something about putting a frozen hand in the punch and figured she would find out when she saw it. She was pretty sure Millie was going to scream, though, because Danno said Millie could be a little jumpy around certain things.

"What time?" Millie asked, finally giving in.

"After lunch, until three," Grace said, knowing she'd won that time.

"Do I have your word Danno does not see that video?" she asked. Grace nodded eagerly, crossing her fingers behind her back. Millie sighed heavily. "Book me in. Do I need a costume?"

"Do you have one?"

"Two, but superstition says I don't wear them until the 31st, so I'll find another one," Millie said, entering the information into her calendar and adding an hour on each side, just in case.

"Why do you have two?"

"One for work and one for an adults-only party I'm going to after work that would get me laughed out of the building if I wore it to work. Thank you, no. Your dad teases me enough as it is."

"You could always shock his chair again."

"That's getting old," Millie said, stretching. She was glad for the break.

"Danno doesn't think so," Grace said, giggling.

"Meh. I know your dad's afraid of closed spaces, but is there anything else he doesn't like?"

"I don't think he's too fond of spiders. Got kinda girly when there was a little black one in the bathroom a few weeks back."

"That might have to do with the fact that he's a germaphobie."

"True, but jumping spiders are always scary," Grace said, giggling.

Millie's eyebrows twitched as an idea came to mind. "Time to pay a visit to my favorite prank shop again."

"Do you have any Halloween traditions?"

"I have a few," Millie admitted. "My gram always put a lit candle in the window just before she went to bed on Halloween. She said it was to help the spirits find their way at night, because on Halloween, it was said that the veil between the living and the dead was at its thinnest. She also buried an apple in a potted plant and put it outside her front door, as an offering to the dead, because apples are always harvested around the fall, before the frost sets in, so an apple offering made sense."

"Do you do that?"

"I do, especially these last few years. Mind you, after Lunkhead moved in, I had to change the candle in the window to a hanging candle in case the miserable furball accidently knocked it down. It's a good way to remember those who've passed on."

"Like Officer Phelps?" Grace asked.

"Keegan, yes, and Gram, and Hugh, and everyone else who left."

"Who's Hugh?"

"An old boyfriend. He was killed in the line of duty about a week before Gram passed away," Millie said. "Got his supervisor out of the way of a drunk driver, but couldn't get himself out of the way in time."

"Do you miss him?"

"I used to, but these days, not as often. I miss him more like I miss a friend than a boyfriend. Your Uncle Steve is helping with that." She chuckled as a memory surfaced. "Halloween's always been my favorite time of the year, and one time, when Hugh was still trying to convince me to go out with him, we were at this party and he had the DJ put on this slow love song and that was our first dance together. That was when I finally agreed to go out with him, because he proved he had a romantic streak in him, when I was convinced he was just a skirt-chaser. We did the same thing about a year later, as a sort of anniversary thing."

"And now?"

"I said good-bye to him when I was in Portland. Hugh's gone. Steve isn't."

"Do you love him?"

"Very much, yes."

"Are you gonna marry him?"

"The subject's come up but right now it's too early to tell. What's with you and me and Steve getting married anyway?"

Grace shrugged. "If you get married, I get dibs on the flower girl."

"You get dibs on the flower girl, huh? I suppose we could work something out," Millie said, grinning teasingly.

"And what's this about flower girls, huh?" Danny said, coming in to the office. He returned the hug his daughter gave him. "What are you up to now?"

"Millie agreed to volunteer for the school Halloween party so that means we can have the party," Grace said.

"Wow. How easy was she to blackmail?"

"Real easy," Grace said, giggling at the glare Millie gave her.

"You made a promise, bucko," Millie threatened.

Grace nodded at her father. "I did, and you always said a promise made is a promise kept, so if I don't keep the promise I made, then that's wrong."

"There is that," Danny said. _But I'm still going to find out later,_ he thought, seeing the grin on his daughter's face, and he had no doubt it was a goodie.

Steve studied the small tracking device in his hand. He'd spotted it under Blackbird when he'd accidently dropped the keys to Danny's car. It had been held in place by a magnetic box under the chasis, with a blue battery pack, and Steve knew what the underside of Millie's Jeep was supposed to look like.

"Any idea if we can track this, find out where the signal's being sent to?" he quietly asked Chin, who took the device and studied it.

"Where did you find this?"

"Under Blackbird and it's not part of the Jeep's tracking system."

"Has Millie been having problems lately? I've noticed her eyeing her cell with suspicion, like she's afraid it's going to bite her or something."

"She's got a stalker," Steve admitted. "Whoever it is has been leaving threatening messages. Something about humiliation and how she and Kono had humiliated his cousin. The last time Millie managed to have an actual conversation with this guy, he basically threatened to kill her because she called him a coward."

"Have you been able to trace the calls?"

"Rotating series of burner phones. No names and the store clerks said the guy paid cash. Cameras showed a guy with sunglasses and a hat, so no go there," Steve said.

Chin nodded. "Let's see what we can do," he said, putting the device on the table. Information began scrolling across the screens as the device, a Spy Tec STI_GL300 Mini Portable Real Time GPS Tracker, was accessed. "Okay, this thing's been tracking Millie for about the past two days and is sending information through the wifi to someone's cellphone, which means it could be going anywhere. I can try and get in touch with the tracking company and see if we can get a name, but they might not tell me without a warrant."

"Do the best you can."

"Have you gone through the case files to see if maybe there's a connection?"

"Millie's been working her way through them. The problem is, in the six months she's been with us, she's had her fingers in dozens of cases, so there are a lot of names and family members to try and track down," Steve admitted. "And we don't even know if this guy is refering to Millie and Kono indirectly or directly."

"And with your luck, the family tree will be more like a pine tree than a palm tree," Chin said.

"Exactly," Steve said sourly. "I'm trying to convince her to move in with me until this is resolved, but she's being, well..."

"Stubborn, pig-headed, determined, any of that sound about right?" Chin teased. Steve glared at him. "Yup. That's Millie."

"She says it's not a big deal, but I don't trust this guy," Steve admitted. "Not after this, and I can't shake the feeling that something bad is going to happen."

"She did ask about Basic Recruitment Training," Chin said. "Both Kono and I warned her it was tough, but I think she can handle it, especially after the way she ran circles around us during that paintball game."

Steve chuckled at the memory. "Yeah, she did at that. I do want to make sure she's been trained, though. I know she's made it plain she'll never be a cop, but I would feel a lot safer if I knew she could handle herself in a gun fight. The one with the bank robbers, that scared the hell out of both of us."

"You and me both, brother. I know someone who owes me a favour. I'll call him and explain the situation. It would be nice to know Millie's got the training, if push comes to shove."

"And Millie is going to shove me right out the window," Danny said, grinning evily as he put Grace's cellphone on the computer table and pulled up a video, Grace beside him.

"I did promise her I wouldn't show you that video," Grace said.

"You did, I didn't," Danny said, tapping on the video.

"_We've just got the day to get ready_

_And there's only so much time to lose_

_Because tonight, yeah, we're here to party_

_So let's think of something fun to do_

_We don't know (we don't know) what's gonna happen_

_We just know (we just know) it's gonna feel right_

_All our friends are here_

_And it's time to ignite the lights!"_

_Shake your tail 'cause we're here to have a party tonight_

_Shake your tail, shake your tail_

_Shake your tail 'cause we're here to have a party tonight_

_Shake your tail, shake your tail!_"

As Grace and Millie danced to the music in what looked like Millie's living room, Steve nodded.

"You're wrong; shoving you out the window will be mild compared to what she'll do if you ever tease her about this," he said to Danny.

Later, just before Danny was to take Grace home, she stopped by Steve's office.

"Uncle Steve?"

"What's up, sweetie?" he asked as she came around his desk.

"Millie told me about Hugh, and she said that they used to slow dance on Halloween. I know she says she doesn't miss him like girl-guy anymore, but maybe you could give her that kind of dance at my Halloween party," Grace said.

"Is she going?"

Grace nodded. "It's between one and three on the 30th," she said. "I think she's going to wear a costume but I don't think she knows what yet. She said she had two costumes she was going to wear on the 31st. One for work and one for a party she was going to after work."

"And why is she not wearing the same costume at work to the party?"

"Something about getting laughed out of the building?"

"If it's anything like the time she lost a bet and showed up like a rabbit, I wouldn't be surprised," Steve said, grinning at the memory.

"I think Danno showed me a picture of that once. That was so cool," Grace said. "I really like her and I know she really likes you. I told her that if you two ever do get married, I get dibs on the flower girl."

"I'll keep that in mind," Steve said, eyes going wide with laughter.


	75. Chapter 75

**Chapter 75**

"_I'm going to be late getting back_," Millie said to Steve.

"Is everything okay?" he asked worriedly.

"_I have four slashed tires, so no, everything is not okay_," she replied.

"Where are you?"

"_Outside the courthouse_," she replied.

"I'll come and get you," Steve said. "Call CSU and have them document it."

"_Already done_," she replied. "_This is getting out of hand_."

"You're not kidding. Seriously reconsidering the idea of moving in with me until this joker is caught?"

"_No. This is just slashed tires. If it accelarates to something more, then I'll think about it, but right now, no. And you know the reason why_."

"Because you're afraid he'll come after me the way he's going after you. And I understand that, but he could just as easily go after Sam or any one of us."

"_Sam doesn't live with me anymore._"

"He's your brother and he's been seen in your company."

Millie groaned. "_Steve_," she said tiredly. "_I love you dearly, but I am not moving in with you just because of this asshat. That shows he's got me running scared and I am not willing to show that just yet._"

"But you are scared."

"_No, I'm not. A bit nervous, the same way I am around my office when I think Danny's gone and pranked me again, but no, I am not scared. I am, however, getting annoyed, if you don't back off on the subject,_" she said warningly.

Steve glared at his phone. "Fine. I'll back off for now, but if this gets worse, you are moving in with me even if I have to haul you by your undies."

"_And you said I had a kinky streak?_" she teased. "_We'll talk about it_."

"Don't make me pull rank on you," he threatened.

"_And how good would that work?_"

"Very, if I have to get Denning involved, and so far I haven't told him about this. I can and if I have to, I will."

Millie went silent. Then she groaned softly. "_Fine. If this gets worse, I will _consider_ moving in with you, but for now, play it by ear. We still have to figure out who this stalker is_."

"And we will, because sooner or later, they all reveal themselves," he soothed. "I'll be at the courthouse in ten." He hung up, knowing Millie was glaring at her phone and would no doubt be giving out a frustrated yell. He'd won the argument this time. _This time._

Danny grinned at him. He had been in the office when Millie had called and Steve had put the call on speaker. "You know you two are starting to sound like a married couple."

"Which is part of the reason I'm trying to get her to move in with me. I want to see what it's like to live with her for an extended period of time. Sam said she's pretty easy and he lived with her for about a month," Steve said, heading out the door. "He said her only quirk is when she gets bored, she cleans."

"How bad?"

"Behind the refrigerator and freezer bad. She even did the top of her cabinets once and apparently swore they hadn't been done since Mr. Iwa died."

Danny stared at him with wide eyes. "That's bad." Then he grinned. "And if she gets bored at your place, it'll get the scrubbing it hasn't gotten since you were kids. No, scratch that; since your mom and dad moved in."

Steve glared at him. "The place is clean."

"There's clean, and then there's Millie's verison of clean. Wonder how many bullet holes she's going to find?" He laughed again when Steve's eyes went a bit wide at the thought. "Have fun explaining that one."

"_Ain't no kinda, sorta, maybe  
When I'm holding you baby  
Halfway ain't near enough  
Every waking minute  
Got my heart and soul in it  
No I can't be just a little in love  
No such thing as a little in love_

_This is high wire walking  
I don't need a net  
Parachute jumping, ain't pulled the cored yet  
No turning back now, I'm goin' all the way down._"

Millie was listening to Paul Brandt's _A Little In Love_ when Steve pulled up in his truck. She smiled and waved at him as he got out. She accepted the kiss to her temple and took him over to Blackbird. All four tires were indeed slashed and flat.

"CSU came, photographed, and went," she said. "I just placed a call to a towing company to have her taken to a dealership because I want her checked over, just to make sure there are no hidden surprises."

"Good idea. Cameras?"

"Not in this area, but Security is checking for any possible witnesses. They know to call you if they get anything."

"Good. How are you holding?"

She grunted softly. "I'm fine, but I'm seriously thinking about upgrading my holster so I can carry an extra clip and a concealed knife."

"And you say you're not afraid?"

"I'm not; I'm being cautious. There's a difference."

As they waited for the tow truck, she showed him the warrant she'd gotten at the courthouse. "This is the warrant for Douglas Pettigrew's boat. You have the authorization to search it, but be warned; his lawyer will be watching closely."

A young woman named Allie Fevens had turned up on a local beach yesterday morning. Her cellphone and Facebook page had revealed she'd had a date with Pettigrew's son, Don, and the last known location was the boat, _Princessa_, but Pettigrew was being a tad difficult about things in light of his only son being accused of murder.

"Also, I ran into Detective Rossco. He's a Fraud detective and I helped him connect the dots on a case just before Denning made his offer," Millie continued. "I'm being called to testify against Scott Warner next month. Apparently the ADA 'forgot' to mention it to me, because I didn't know about that." Steve scowled at that. "And it's been a while since I had anything to do with the case, so Rossco's sending me the case file so I can review it before next month."

"Anything I should be aware of?"

"Warner's a sleezebag, but that's about it. Same with his lawyer; Rossco was complaining that the guy had managed to push back and delay Warner's courtcase so often the judge was starting to get pissed, and apparently Judge Sheridan is not the judge you want to piss off."

"Good to know. And it looks like Blackbird's ride is here," Steve said, seeing a tow truck pulling up.

After Blackbird was hooked up and the driver given instructions on where to take the Jeep, Steve took Millie back to Headquarters so they could execute the warrant. They were only half way there when Millie got a call.

"Hi Ashley. What's up?"

"_We've got a bit of a problem_," Ashley said. "_Please tell me you still want Lunkhead and the Twins_."

"Of course I do! Lunkhead is my buddy. Why on Earth would you say that?"

"_Because they just got dropped off at the HSPCA, and we have a very angry tripod kitty and two very frightened kittens, and I think Lunkhead's stoned because he even growled at Sam_," Ashley said, relief in her voice.

"What!" Millie yelped, looking at Steve in horror. "HSPCA, now!" she snapped, panic in her voice. Steve didn't even question her; he just threw on his flashers and picked up speed. "We're on our way. Are they okay?"

"_They're okay, I swear. We had a bit of a fight to try and draw blood from Lunkhead so we could try and detemine what it was that was used on him, but they're okay_," Ashley swore. "_What is going on, Mills? Sam says you would never do something like that to them._"

"Never on my life, I swear. The last time I saw them was this morning, and they were in the house when I left for work and-and-and... oh my god, you son of a bitch," Millie whimpered, a horrible thought coming to mind. "I've been having a bit of trouble with a stalker. It was just heavy breathing phone calls and shit like that, but Steve found a tracking device on Blackbird a few days ago, and I just had to tow Blackbird to a dealership because I found all four tires slashed after I came out of the courthouse. And now this."

"_Oh my god_," Ashley moaned. "_Okay, unless it's you or that hunk you call your boyfriend, or me or Sam, no one else is coming near those poor kitties. This is seriously wacked out_."

"We should be there in ten minutes, fifteen at the max," Millie said. "I'll call CSU and have them pick up the blood from Lunkhead. You guys are good but I have an insider."

"Fair enough," Ashley said. "See you in a few."

"Who are you thinking?" Steve asked as Millie ended the call and started thumbing through her contacts.

"Charlie. I trust him," she said. "And then I'll call Danny and tell him to come and get the warrant, because as soon as I can, I'm moving in with you."

"I'll load up on the pineapple juice," he said, knowing Millie was now seriously frightened. This crazy son of a bitch had gone after her family, even though they were the four-legged (or three-legged in the case of Lunkhead) variety.

"Thank you."

Charlie promised to head straight for the HSPCA and get the blood samples. He, personally, had never met Lunkhead or the Twins, but had seen pictures and heard enough stories to know Millie genuinely cared about her cats.

"Send me a picture of you so I can show it to Ashley so she'll know who to expect," Millie said. "Right now, I do not trust that son of a bitch to try and walk off with those blood samples."

"_Good idea. It'll come your way asap_," Charlie promised.

Danny swore when he heard what happened. "_I'm on my way_," he said. "_We'll take care of the warrant, you take care of your kitties and for the love of God, move in with Steve!_"

"Planning on it," she said. "The only people who will know are the people who absolutely have to."

"_Done and done. See you shortly._"

Millie hung up and tried to calm her racing heart. Steve glanced at her worriedly. Then her phone rang and she nearly jumped out of her seat. It was a familiar burn phone number. She didn't answer it but sent it straight to voice mail. A minute later the number called again. This time she snagged Steve's phone, hit the record button, and then answered her phone, putting it on speaker, but not saying anything.

There was nothing but heavy breathing for a few seconds, then a harsh voice whispered, "_How does it feel to know you're going to lose everything? I'm going to take away everything you've ever cared about, just like you took away the one thing my cousin cared about. I'm going to burn everything and then I'm going to burn you_."

"How does it feel to know you have a target on your head and a bullet with your name on it?" she shot back. "You want to destroy my Jeep, that's one thing. But to go after an innoccent animal, that's a whole other ballgame, bucko. I will find you and I am going to kill you."

"_Threats don't scare me_," the caller hissed.

"That's not a threat. That's a promise. Congratulations. You've successfully managed to not only piss me off but also the entire Five-0 Taskforce, sugar. We'll be seeing you." And with that, she hung up.

"That's going to piss him off," Steve said, watching as she thumbed off the Record on his phone.

"What, the fact that I hung up on him?"

"Yup. People like him, from what I've seen, absolutely hate it when they don't have the last word. Makes them do stupid things."

"I just hope he doesn't do something seriously stupid enough that I regret provoking him."

"You and me both."

At the HSPCA, Lunkhead and the Twins were in a special holding area, being tended to by a college volunteer, who was playing with the Twins. Lunkhead was in a corner, looking a bit stoned and glaring at the world in general. He growled at Millie when she picked him up but then settled down once he realized who it was.

"It's okay, Lunkey. It's just me. I swear, if I didn't know better, I'd say you were losing your sight, old man," she soothed.

"We had him checked over by the vet, and he is showing some signs of cataracts," Ashley said. "He's an old boy and it looks like his sight's starting to go."

Millie buried her face in her cat's fur, fighting the urge to cry. It was official; her stalker had her scared. She looked up when Steve put his arm around her shoulders, stroking Lunkhead's head.

"Will he adapt or is there something I can do for him?" she asked.

Ashley nodded. "At his age, because cataracts is a progressive disease, he'll adapt. It just means making sure certain things are where they should be, all the time, like the food dish and the litter box. You may also find him reluctant to go up and down stairs at first, if you have any."

"I don't, but Steve does, and there's the cat tower," Millie said. "And that thing's about seven feet tall."

"He'll manage," Steve soothed. "He's a tough boy."

Millie nodded, letting Lunkhead curl up in her lap. "I'll grab my stuff, empty out the fridge and whatnot, shut the house down for the time being. It shouldn't take long to replace four tires, right?"

"No, it shouldn't," Steve said. "And I'll see about getting you a new holster for your gun and an extra clip. Your gun stays with you at all times from now on, and I'm going to figure out how to put a GPS tracker on you." Millie nodded, too badly shaken to argue with him at that particular moment.

It took a bit of work and a lot of help, but Millie moved in with Steve. The cat tower went in the corner of his living room, where Lunkhead carefully climbed to the top, and sat there watching everything with a critical eye.

Millie packed her clothes and toiletries, her firesafe box, backup gun and clips, and a few favorite coffee mugs and personal items. The fridge was emptied of perishables (her college boy neighbours loved her for that) and shut down, as was her gas and power. Everything else, such as furniture, lien, what she called the non-esentials, were left behind. She did, however, take her giant beanbag chair and warn Steve she was going to be decorating the front of his house for Halloween.

"Whatever it takes for you to feel safe, you do it," he said, wondering how many pumpkins he was going to find on his porch. "And if you want to turn the front yard into a haunted graveyard, that's fine. Just don't tell Danny or he'll never come near the house again."

She smiled evily at him. "Wait until he tries to use his hand sanitizer in the near future," she said. "Did you know hand sanitizer is the same color and texture as certain personal lubricants?"

He stared at her, eyes wide. "I know nothing."

"Smart man."


	76. Chapter 76

**Chapter 76**

Things got frightfully quiet after Millie moved in with Steve. The dealership, once the problem had been explained, had checked Blackbird over with a fine-tooth comb and found nothing remiss. Her additions, like her flashers and GPS tracker, raised a few eyebrows but those same eyebrows went down once she flashed her badge.

Lunkhead and the Twins settled in to their new home nicely, with the Twins spending the first few days running up and down the stairs. There was the occasional head-rattling thumping when one of them fell down the stairs, the Kung Fu Fighting, the Tough Kitty Verses Big Kitty (usually Elless verses Lunkhead), and the You Are Going To Have A Bath fights, all of which was guaranteed to have Steve laughing. The only time he didn't was when Po or Elless decided to attack his feet or some such thing when he wasn't expecting it.

Such was the case that morning when Elless suddenly grabbed Steve's towel and took off running, nearly missing certain male parts. Both Danny and Millie nearly choked on their coffee when they heard him yell.

"You miserable feline furball!" Steve yelled. "That's the last time I leave the bathroom door open for you!"

"He leaves the bathroom door open?" Danny repeated. "Why?"

"Because Elless likes to play with the water," Millie explained. "And if he shuts the door, she paws under the door trying to get in, until he gives in and lets her in. Mind you, he's been real careful about when she sits on the toilet tank, because one time she did, she slipped and her foot caught the lever. Burning hot shower much? And it was both of us that got scalded."

"Ouch," Danny said, wincing.

"I hate that cat," Steve grumbled as he came downstairs, finally dressed and finger combing his hair.

"And Elless hates you too, dear," Millie replied calmly, handing him his coffee.

"And I hate your front yard," Danny said. "But that doesn't stop me from coming over."

"You think it's bad now? It's going to get worse," Millie promised. "Oh, and you're going to have to loosen your belt because I've got about a dozen recipes I'm going to be doing up in the near future. Like I said, I love Halloween."

Danny's eyes went wide. "Can I have a hint?"

"Carrot cake muffins with pineapple and orange icing with real cream cheese? Snake-bite parfaits? Candy corn bark? Double layer pumpkin pie?" Millie offered. "Oh, and there's my personal favourite: Pull-Apart Pumpkin-Caramel Bread." She grinned when she realized both men were staring at her, all but drooling.

"Your kitchen is going to smell fabulous," Danny said. "Let me know when she starts so I can come over and dig in."

"You and everyone else," Steve promised.

"Oh, and that reminds me; I've got to pick up a bottle of brandy," Millie said.

"Why?" Steve asked.

"Because I need to get started on Brandy Balls. Those have to ferment for about a month to two months," Millie said. "The longer, the better. Plus there's Gram's Fruit Cake."

"The fruit cake I get, but Brandy Balls?" Danny asked, curious.

"Brandy, crushed vanilla cookies, and melted chocolate, plus one or two other things I can't remember off the top of my head. They were an adult treat Mom introduced me to one year," Millie explained. "They're a Christmas treat, so the sooner I get 'em done and hidden away, the better. And the better the brandy, the better the flavour."

"And the bigger my waistline," Danny said.

"I could always let you lead on the next suspect chase," Steve offered, grinning.

Danny glared at him. "I hate you."

"Uh-huh," Millie said, grinning at the pair of them. "You're going to hate me even more when we get to HQ and I slap you with some paperwork I know you've been trying to avoid."

"There's always the Williams Law," Danny said.

"Williams Law?" Steve repeated, confused. "Don't you mean Murphy's Law?"

"Nope; Williams Law. When it comes to paperwork, sucker someone else," Danny said, grinning. "If all else fails, pay them."

"Cute," Millie said. "You know what the Phelps Law is?"

"What?" Danny asked.

"Get it done. _Or else_," Millie said. "And the Or Else is guaranteed to make you scream." The look in her eyes promised him he would indeed be screaming by the time she was done with him.

Danny looked at Millie, eyes wide. "I think we need to get to HQ," he said.

"Good idea," Steve said.

The trace on the GPS tracker had led them to a credit card that lead them to a post office box belonging to a dead man. The dead man in question had a very large family, consisting of at least a dozen nieces, nephews, cousins, and in-laws. Millie was making it her personal project to try and locate each and every member of that family, just on the off chance that one of them might be her stalker. It was a stretch of a lead, but it was better than no lead.

How had Lunkhead and the Twins been catnapped? An examination of her house revealed a kitchen window, which faced the back yard, had been broken. While Millie had packed, Steve had covered up the window with some plywood kindly donated by a neighbour doing renovations.

Two days later, Millie was bored. It was her day off, Steve and Danny were chasing down a suspect, and her stalker was leaving her alone for now. Her research into the dead man had turned up a half-dozen names but so far everyone was accounted for. Beyond that, all of her paperwork was done, her office was tidy, her bills and whatnot were taken care of (she had shut off the power, water, and gas to her house for the duration and had alerted the various companies about that), and her mail was being forwarded to a post office box until things were a bit clearer.

Millie hated being bored. So she started poking around her new home and as she did, she found herself making a list of things that needed to be done, as well as things that needed to be picked up.

"Borax, Windex, paper towels, when was the last time these walls were cleaned?" she muttered, moving around with a notepad and pen in hand. "Better grab a Swifter dust thingie too, from the looks of it. How's the oven? Could do with a serious cleaning. Yikes! Big cleaning behind the stove time! Fridge isn't too bad but it wouldn't hurt. Hello Mister Dyson. I'm going to get one and you're going to be crying. Rubber gloves, sponges, bucket, flat plaster thingie. Blankets could do with an airing. Steve really should put up a clothes line; would cut down on the power he uses for the dryer. And why does he have three bullet holes here? Better grab some plaster for that. I am not touching that garage! That's his problem, not mine!"

After making sure her beloved pets were okay, she headed out. An hour and a half later, she was back with her supplies. Two hours later, Steve came home, soaking wet. He had taken a dip in the ocean while tackling a suspect and had to change his clothes. Salt-soaked underwear was not comfortable when they dried.

The first thing he noticed was the smell of cleaning supplies. Windex, oven cleaner, and was that baking soda? Danny also noticed the smell.

"Uh oh," he said. "Millie's been on a cleaning fit again."

"You're right; I have," Millie said, emerging from the laundry room, carrying a load of damp clothes in a basket. She accepted Steve's hello kiss and then headed out to the back yard, where she'd set up a clothesline that stretched between two trees. "Mister Conners is a very nice gentleman, by the way. He kindly set up the clothesline for me in exchange for a beer and some company." She looked at Steve and raised an eyebrow. "Throw your clothes down and I'll throw them in the wash."

"Thanks," he said, not sure what to expect when he got upstairs.

What he got was open windows, a bed that had been stripped (and cleaned underneath from the looks of it), and a bathroom that had been scrubbed within an inch of its life.

Yup, Millie was on a cleaning fit.

When he came downstairs, showered and dressed, he did as Millie asked and threw his ocean-soaked clothes in the laundry room.

"Do I dare ask what you've done?" he asked.

"Well, both the stove and the fridge have been cleaned behind," Millie said, taking the opportunity to grab a cup of coffee. "Bathroom got scrubbed down, floors got vacuumed and mopped, especially under the beds and couches, thanks to my new friend, Mister Dyson," she said, pointing to the cordless vacuum that was mounted on the wall in the kitchen. "Plus I've placed an order for several other attachments that include flexibility, angle reaching, and mattress cleaning; I hate dust mites. Makes my skin crawl. Oh, and the oven is on because I've got oven cleaner in it. If you're going to be throwing a bird in there next month, I'm sure it would taste a lot better if the oven was clean."

"That it would," Steve said carefully. "Please tell me you only do this sort of heavy-duty cleaning once a month."

"Oh yeah. Don't worry. By the way, why do you have three bullet holes in the overhead up there?" she asked, pointing to the overhead that went between the kitchen and the living room.

"If those are what I think they are, it's a long story and it involves a disposed military general from Sandim," Steve said.

Millie raised an eyebrow. "I'll get the full story later. Either way, I picked up a plaster knife; good for scraping."

"You've been busy," Steve admitted. Then his phone rang. It was Kono.

"What's up, Kono?" he asked, putting the phone on speaker.

"_Is Millie with you?_" Kono asked, something in her voice saying they had a problem.

"Oddly enough, yes," Steve said. "What's wrong?"

"_We just got a delivery of calla lilies_," Kono said heavily, "_along with a sympathy card to Five-0 in regards to Millie's death_. _The son of a bitch is back_."

Steve looked at Millie, who had gone pale. "First chance I get, you are getting a tracking device. From now on, you do not leave this house without a gun, a knife, or your cell phone; do you understand?" he said.

She nodded, already wishing for her gun.


	77. Chapter 77

**Chapter 77**

_Everybody (Backstreet's Back)_ started playing when Millie's cellphone vibrated and she took it out. It was a message from Steve. She was at Grace's school Halloween dance party and it was in full swing.

The stalker had not struck again after the flowers, leaving both Steve and Millie on edge. Still, Millie was determined to try and enjoy her favorite holiday. After the calla lily incident, she had thrown herself into the holiday and the men at Five-0 swore they were going to have to loosen their belts or go on a diet after Halloween. Kono had copied several of the recipes and made Adam a very happy man.

Millie and Steve were learning to live together. There was a few minor hiccups, like the football games and Millie's nighttime wanderings, but so far they were adjusting well. For Grace's dance, Millie had borrowed Kono's police uniform, which would allow her to continue to carry her gun without looking suspicious or out of place.

"_Hey Nani, how's it going?_"

She smiled. "Loud. MJ's Thriller showed up and the kids did the zombie dance. Cute," she replied.

"_You look good in a cop uniform_," he sent.

Her brow furrowed. "How do you know what I'm wearing?" she sent back.

"Maybe because I'm right behind you," he suddenly said in her ear, causing Millie to jump at least a foot.

"Sonova!" she swore, her heart pounding. She turned to slap his shoulder and realized he was also wearing an HPD uniform, with the rank of Sergeant and a loaded gear belt, just like her. "How did you know?" His smile told her. "Grace. Right. Have I told you lately how much I love you?"

"You're also going to kill me, right?" he teased.

"Yup."

He laughed and put his arm around her shoulders, giving her a kiss on her temple, before he was ambushed by Grace, who gave him an enthusiastic hug.

"Hey Gracie. You having fun?" he asked his adopted niece, hugging her back.

"Uh-huh! Thanks for coming!" she said.

"And thanks for telling me," he whispered in her ear. She smiled happily before dashing back to rejoin her friends.

"And I see trouble," he said, pointing towards a group of costumed teenagers who looked like they were up to no good, heading towards the stage area, where an exit was, looking behind them nervously. "You got your badge on you?"

"Yup. You?" she asked.

"Always," he said, doing the same. "Pincer."

"Sounds good," she said, going through the crowd towards the teenagers, while Steve disappeared into the shadows. "Hello, boys," she said softly, smiling, just before they were about to go behind the curtains, towards the open exit. "What kind of party flavours are those?" she asked, referring to the basket of eggs one boy had. They moved behind the curtains, into the backstage area. "If that's breakfast, I'm afraid you missed that by several hours."

"Who are you?" one boy asked, looking at her defiantly.

"Officer Millie Phelps, your escort for today," she said cheerfully.

"You're not a real cop," the boy snipped. "That's just a costume."

"Wrong on both counts, boys," Millie said. "Not only is this uniform real, but so the person I borrowed it from." She pointed to Steve, who had come up behind the boys, and smiled. "He is also wearing a real HPD uniform and I have a sneaking suspicion I know who he borrowed it from. Meet Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett, United States Navy." Steve smiled coldly at them, and they started fidgeting nervously.

"So?" the boy demanded hotly. "You have no jurisdiction over us here, and you're still not real cops!"

"You're right; the Navy doesn't," Steve said. He took out his badge, and Millie did the same. "But Five-0 does, and she and I both are as real as they come."

The three boys, all dressed like ninjas, blanched visibly.

"I think we have their attention now," Millie said, smiling widely at Steve. She took out her cellphone. "Face masks off please."

"Why?" the leader demanded. "We know our rights!"

"Good. Then you also know this; we can arrest you for public mischief," Steve said, "but I think Officer Phelps has something else in mind."

"I do. It's called blackmail," she said, snapping a picture of two of the boys who had reluctantly removed their face masks. "Here's how it's going to be, boys; the commander and I know what you look like. You are going to get rid of the eggs, and rejoin the party, separately. If you do that, and cause no further mischief, you will not be reported to the Headmaster. In being reported, you wind up spending, what is one of my absolute favourite holidays, in detention and possibly grounded when your parents find out. Doesn't sound like my idea of a fun time to me. You, sir?" she asked Steve.

"No, not really, not when I know the Honolulu Historical Society will be doing a haunted tour tonight," Steve said.

Millie's eyes lit up. "Ooh, that reminds me; I'm headed for an adults-only party tomorrow night, between seven and eightish."

"Sounds like fun," Steve said. "Which is more fun than what these three are going to have."

"Your choice, boys. Get rid of the eggs and behave for the remainder of the day and tomorrow, and this becomes just a warning," Millie said. "Or we haul you in to the Headmaster and you can explain this to him and your parents and this becomes more than just a warning."

The boys looked at each other. "I'll behave," the smaller of the three boys said. "I don't want to miss out on the candy."

"Me neither, and Uncle Carl always throws a way epic Halloween party, and I don't want to miss that," the second boy said.

"Smart choices," Steve said. "Eggs. Now." He held out his hand and the second boy gave him the basket of eggs that he suspects were either raw or rotten. "Beat it. Now, you. What's your choice?" he said as the two boys quickly left the area.

"This sucks," the boy said.

"Not nearly as much as it's going to," Millie said, bringing up the Headmaster's cellphone number. She fired off a quick message and the picture. "This is no threat," she said. "It's a promise." She raised an eyebrow at the message she received. "Headmaster Kai says that if you really enjoy spending that much time with him, all you had to do was say so."

The boy yanked off his mask and glared at them. "Fine. Whatever. Those two were losers anyway. Who cares about some stupid Halloween party anyway? Everyone dressing up and acting like dopes. That's not fun. Fun is scaring the heck out of people, making 'em run like little babies," he snapped, a nasty grin coming across his face.

"Congratulations," Steve said. "That is what we call a confession. You get to spend your Halloween with Headmaster Kai. Let's go," he said.

The sullen boy, James as Headmaster Kai called him, was delivered to him, the eggs were dumped, but and both Millie and Steve rejoined the party. At one point _Shake Your Tail _began playing and Millie found herself being dragged on to the floor by Grace, who insisted they do the _Shake Your Tail _dance together, which got the rest of the partiers joining in. It was a little hard to do the Shake with a loaded belt, but that didn't stop Millie once she got in to it.

"If I find this anywhere other than the school page or yearbook, I will kill someone!" Millie said to Steve afterwards, blushing ferociously.

"Yes dear," he said, grinning widely, hiding his cellphone. The video was going to Lou, Chin, Kono, and Danny as soon as he could get it done; the _Shake Your Tail_ dance had been absolutely priceless.

If Millie thought the dance was bad, it was about to get worse. Headmaster Kai began to announce the winners of various costume categories. Grace won a prize for_ Most Original Dance To A Song, _which made her very happy.

Then Headmaster Kai had one more category. "Now, normally this particular category doesn't happen that often, if ever, but this time I think we'll make a special exception today. The award for _Best Costumed Couple _goes to Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett and Officer Millie Phelps, Five-0 Taskforce!"

Millie felt her mouth drop open and saw Steve grin widely.

"Oh. My. God!" she yelped as she and Steve were ushered to the stage amid clapping and cheering, Grace bouncing up and down happily. Blushing ferociously, she accepted the make-shift award from Headmaster Kai.

Then Steve took the opportunity to speak to the students.

"I'm glad everyone is having fun right now," he said. "And we all want to have fun tomorrow night, right?"

"Yeah!" the students yelled.

"I want to have fun too, but that also means sticking to some very simple, very easy, rules," Steve said. "And if you follow those rules, then everyone can have a fun night. What do you say?"

"Yeah!" the students yelled again, seeming to be in awe of the fact that Five-0 was there.

"First rule: stay in groups! It's safer for everyone, especially once the sun goes down," Steve said. "If you don't feel comfortable at a certain place, don't go there. Trust your instincts."

"Let's repeat that," Millie said, accepting the second microphone from the dance DJ. "The first rule is?"

"Stay in groups!" the students yelled back.

"Second rule: be visible to drivers! That means either wear reflective clothing or carry a flashlight," Steve said.

"So, the second rule is?" Millie asked.

"Be visible to drivers!" the students shouted.

"And the third rule is: stay in safe areas! Don't go wandering into cemeteries or empty houses. You could get hurt or arrested for trespassing. That also means staying on sidewalks and using crosswalks as much as possible."

"So what's the third rule again?" Millie asked.

"Stay in safe areas!" the students hollered.

"And if we follow those rules, we can all have a safe and happy Halloween," Steve said. "And that's what we all want, right?"

"Yeah!" the students yelled.

The bell rang and a moan of protest rose from the students, but they knew there would be more fun tomorrow.

Before Grace left the gym, she gave both Steve and Millie another hug.

"You think maybe she likes you?" Steve teased Millie.

"She likes me well enough. She also knows I bribe and blackmail easy," Millie said. "How do you think I got suckered into the Shake thing?" She rubbed her hips, where the belt was biting into her hips. "How the heck do they wear these things without getting bruises?" she muttered.

He checked her belt and then tightened it a notch. "That's why," he said, smiling at her.

They watched as the gym emptied out and then Steve went and had a quiet word with the dance DJ. A moment later _I Cross My Heart,_ by George Strait, began playing, and Steve rejoined Millie, holding out his hand to her. Hesitantly, she took it and allowed him to draw her close. As they moved to the music, he tucked her head under his chin and her hand against his chest.

This felt right, she realized, relaxing. This wasn't replacing an old memory, but rather creating a new one. She smiled. If this kept up, it would be the best Halloween in years.

"I'm not Hugh," he said softly.

Grace must've told him. No surprise there. She knew Grace cared about her Uncle Steve.

"I know you're not. Hugh is gone. You're not. You're here, and that's what matters," she said. "It's like me and Catherine. For a while, I felt like I had to compete against her memory, and then against her when she came back. It wasn't until a mutual friend of ours gave me some advice that I stopped doing that."

"What was the advice?"

"To not compete against her, because I'd look like an idiot. Instead, he said for me to just be myself and let you decide which one you wanted."

"Sound advice."

She raised her head and looked at him, smiling. "Yes, I loved Hugh, just as you loved Catherine, but the key word is _loved_, as in loved in the past. I love you, here, now, and for however long things last between us, just as I know you love me."

"I do," he said. "I need you. I know you're not Catherine, and I'm glad for that. I spent six years loving her and she still left. Then you showed up, completely different in both looks and personality, and it was like a light switch had been turned."

She smiled at that. "I did something very important when I was in Portland, just before I left. You remember me saying my brothers were dragging me to the cemetery at night?"

"I do."

"We paid a visit to Keegan, but I also paid a visit to Hugh. I let him know I was doing okay, about us, and I said good-bye. This, what we're doing now, it isn't about replacing a memory. It's about making new ones. No matter what happens, it's these memories I will cherish the most, because these are the moments in my world when everything is all right."

He smiled, leaning his head against hers. First chance he got, as soon as he could convince Danny and the others to help him, he was going to marry Millie. There was no way in hell he was letting her go.


	78. Chapter 78

**Chapter 78**

It was Halloween and Steve knew Millie was getting dressed. She had only smiled and said, "You'll see," when he'd asked her about what she was planning to wear today.

As he poured himself some coffee and added butter to his cup, he mentally reviewed his plans for the day.

Given that it was Halloween and a Saturday and the end of the month, he was heading in to Headquarters with Millie to try and stay on top of things. Halloween always seemed to bring out the nutcases and he didn't want to chance the stalker trying something. The funeral flowers had been ordered and paid for online by the same credit card that had paid for the GPS tracker, resulting in a dead end. Even checking out the cameras at the post office had resulted in a dead end because the suspect was wearing a hat and sunglasses. However, the clerk, very understanding once the situation had been explained, had promised to try and keep an eye out for him, even going as far as promising to try and get a picture of him.

All they knew was that he was around six feet tall, tanned skin, a bit on the scrawny side, but had mentioned working out with weights, and appeared to be shy around women.

Steve blinked a few times as Millie came into the kitchen, sure he was seeing things. She was wearing a white blouse with a high collar and puffy sleeves under a hunter green vest, and a matching ankle-length walking skirt. On her feet were black Victorian boots, and on her head was an auburn wig done up in a proper Victorian bun, curls around her face softening the stern look. At her throat was a white and gold cameo pin and she was carrying a nice straw bonnet with a white band. She looked like she had just stepped right out of the Victorian or Old West era, and he couldn't wait to see his friends reactions.

She smiled when she saw him. "Please tell me you have coffee there," she said.

"I do," he said, holding up the coffee mug he was about to bring to her. "You look nice."

"Thank you. I've been putting this together for weeks, and the best part is I can wear it inside or outside, and it's comfortable for all-day wear," she said, coming around to accept the coffee and his morning kiss, as was their ritual these days.

While she had been getting dressed, Millie had been thinking hard. Due to a recent conversation with some friends, she was starting to have serious thoughts about putting her house up for rent and staying with Steve indefinitely. Renting the house would would add an extra thousand to her bank account, and she was sure she could easily get renters there, particularly a young couple with a six year-old son.

She liked living with Steve. He was easy to get along with, good company, and could be a lot of fun. When it was just the two of them, he was free with the kisses, the hugs, the cuddling, and the playing. Sometimes he reached for her in the night, but it wasn't with the expectation of sex. As he once explained, sometimes his dreams could get unpleasant or bothersome and holding her was comforting.  
Okay, so they still had a few glitches to work out, like his concerns over her eating habits (she would go through fits of lack of interest in food then suddenly crave meat, all three types, like crazy), the fact that his once-manly bathroom now smelled of female fruit stuff, working out a dinner menu they both liked, and there was this thing about him not wanting his underwear displayed on the clothes line.

"Do you have your gun on you?" Steve asked.

"Backup's on my leg," she said, raising her skirt to show him her black corset thigh holster.

"Good," he said.

"I also have my knife with me," she said, lifting her vest to show him the little Talon knife she'd clipped to the inside of her skirt. The knife fit on her index and middle fingers and had a razor-sharp edge and tip, much like an eagle talon, and was guaranteed to cause plenty of problems for anyone she used it on.

"Even better," he said. "You ready?"

"I will be as soon as I finish my coffee," she said. "Also, I have some questions I want to run by you, if you don't mind."

"I never do, depending on the questions," he said. "And if I can't answer them, I'll tell you."

"Fair enough. Umm," she said. This was important and dang it all if she couldn't suddenly find the words. "I, uh, we don't know how long this nutter is going to keep this up," she began. "I could be here for heaven knows how long, so our current living situation could stretch into maybe next month."

"I don't mind that," he said. "I like living with you."

She smiled and pushed on, taking his words for encouragement. "So do I. In fact, I like it so much that I'm thinking about putting my house up for rent and maybe extending my stay for longer than next month."

"Really?"

"Really. I know a couple who has a little boy and they're having a hard time finding a place, and if I'm going to keep living with you, then it makes sense for me to rent the house out to them. A little extra income wouldn't hurt, and that way I don't have the hassle of trying to try sell it and all that. I'm kind of fond of the place and I don't really want to sell it, so renting it seems to be the better option." She huffed a breath and waited nervously.

He smiled at her. "Are you sure?" he asked. She nodded. "Then if you want to rent your house out, and you need help, I will do so, gladly. I enjoy having you here, and you are welcome to stay for as long as you want."

Her face lit up and she jumped into his arms. He hugged her as tightly as she was hugging him and when she lifted her face, he gladly kissed her.

"Mmm. Raspberry?" he asked, tasting her lipgloss. He knew she was fond of her lip balms and lipglosses, especially the Lip Smackers and Bonne Bell.

She nodded. "Raspberry Spritz," she said, feeling as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

"When do you want to take care of the house?" he asked, reluctantly letting her go so she could get her stuff together.

"I was thinking tomorrow. I don't have a lot still over there, just some photos on the wall. The rest is books, DVDs, stuff like that, unless you want a bigger t.v. screen."

He smiled. "See what happens. You're going to have to teach me how to core a pineapple though."

"Easy to do. I've got a corer that not only cores the pineapple but also spiral-cuts the fruit and removes the skin," she said, shrugging. Then she came up to him. "You won't regret this, I promise."

"There's only one thing I regret with regards to you," he said, cupping her face.

"Whazat?"

"Not asking you out the first time we met."

"That's okay. What do you think one of my reasons for taking this crazy job was?"

"Little ol' me?"

"Little ol' you. I hadn't seen Catherine around for a while so I figured I'd try and get to know you and then maybe ask you out."

"Guess we're both a little slow on the uptake, huh?"

"Guess so. And we're both going to be a little late if we don't get a move on."

At Headquarters, Chin and Lou were there. Kono would be coming in later, and it was Danny's weekend with Grace. He was also still dealing with his nephew, Eric Russo, a new lab tech for the crime lab who had the habit of calling his uncle Uncle D.

Eric was a good kid with a good heart, as far as Millie was concerned, but he had some growing up to do. He did look a bit like a younger Brendan Fraser, and out of retaliation for him calling her Kitten, she called him Link, Brendan Fraser's character from _Encino Man_. It backfired; Eric loved the nickname so much he kept it.

Millie was making her way to her office from the kitchen when someone whistled appreciatively. It was Eric, dressed as none other than Rick O'Connell from the _Mummy _trilogy.

"Now there's a pretty lady if I ain't ever seen one," Eric drawled with a very bad Western accent.

"And you are here why?" she asked.

"Grace wanted to show off her costume to everyone else and mooch some treats off you guys before tonight," Eric said. "I'm kinda helping with the mooching."

Millie rolled her eyes. "Let me check my desk. I might have something," she said heading for her office. "Oh, and Eric?"

"Yes ma'am?"

"I have a knife under my vest. Give me cause to do so, and I will gut you like a fish."

Eric looked at her with wide eyes. "Believe me when I say that any comments I make towards you and Kono are purely appreciative. I'm too afraid to otherwise. Is it true Kono is a mean ass kicker?"

"Very true. She's been kicking for about six years now and she's taught me a few things."

"Right. Watching my backside very closely."

"And your mouth."

"That too."

In Steve's office, he and Danny were talking. He had just told Danny about Millie's plans to move in with him on a more permanent basis and put her house up for rent.

"Wow," Danny said. "So when are you going to get the ring and all that?"

"Right now, I'm playing it by ear, but don't be surprised if there's a Christmas wedding. Grace wants to be the flower girl."

Danny grinned at him. "What about kids?"

"Millie was on the Pill to help regulate her cycle. She stopped taking them about a month ago, just after that business with Minako, and she hasn't seen her doctor for a prescription renewal since."

"So definitely in the realm of possibilities. Any ideas about the ring?"

"Been tossing the idea around of convincing her to have her grandmother's ring taken in for cleaning and then somehow getting it resized for her middle finger."

"Right, because it currently sits on her pinkie. Gram must've had small hands."

"From what Millie says, she was a small woman. She towered over Gram by the time she was twelve."

"Yikes."

"One small thing though. Millie has made it very plain that if she does agree to get married, it's going to be a very short engagement because of what happened with Hugh."

"What are you thinking?"

"The second I get her grandmother's ring on her hand is the second I drag her in front of a marriage official."

"That would take some serious planning beforehand, and without her knowing about it."

"But?"

"But let me know when you're planning on doing it and I'm sure we can come up with a suitable ambush mission." He grinned at the thought. "Don't even bother asking for help because you know you'd get it in spades, and not just from us. I'm thinking Rene and Adam and Sam and a few other people, and we'd do it just for the chance to get the one-up on her."

"Let's just see how things go, but if I make the call..."

"We'll come running," Danny promised.

_Later that night:_

They were back at home and Millie was getting ready to head out to her party. Steve had tried to convince her to skip the party, but she had refused.

"I've been looking forward to this party for weeks, and no jerk is going to spoil my fun."

"Do I fall into that category?"

"Not yet. Look, I promise I'll be careful, but I can't let Mister Stalker dictate what I can and cannot do, not on the one day of the year I let myself cut loose."

Now, the Victorian wig was gone, replaced by a long black wig, braided on two sides with red ribbons, and a rose headband on top. Her top was a black leather halter corset with two bony hands on the cups, appearing to support her breasts. On her legs were footless skeleton leggings under a red, black, and skull-print tie-on bustle skirt, with roses at the hips. Her shoes were skeleton ballet flats, which were by the front door, and there were long fingerless skeleton gloves on the bed. For an added touch of glamour, she wore skeleton earrings and a black lace skeleton necklace.

But what had his eyes going wide was her skeleton face paint. A white base, lips painted blood red with black teeth lines stretching across her mouth and jaw, big black eyes with red detailing, a web on her forehead, black skull nose, red and black flower detailing on her chin, and a red faux heart gem between her eyebrows. As he watched, leaning against the bathroom door, she carefully finished some swirl detailing on her cheeks before putting down her brush.

Then she looks looked up and smiled at him, causing an unnerving effect.

"Wow," he said. "What's this?"

"It's a new trend for Halloween called Day of the Dead, or Sugar Skulls, and comes from Mexico," she explained, starting to put her make-up away and clean her brushes and sponge. "I like it because it suggests that we shouldn't be afraid of the dead, but rather celebrate and remember them."

"Makes sense to me."

Once her equipment was put away, she put her gloves on and then carefully applied black press-on nails with red tips and glued-on white gems.

"Okay, other than my shoes, I am good to go," she said.

"Cellphone?"

"Here," she said, patting her skirt, where she had an elastic thigh holster. "Knife is here, along with my badge," she said, patting her bust. "And my little derringer is here," she said, patting her other leg, referring to the black ash Bond Texas Defender derringer she had bought on advice from Kono. "Relax. I'm going to be with a big bunch of people I trust, and I am going to have a little harmless fun."

He sighed, rubbing her bare shoulders, picking up the scent of pumpkins, apples, and ginger (she did love her scented body lotions).

"I know, I know," he said. "And you're right. Sooner or later this guy is going to trip up and we'll find out who he is and what his problem is."

"He wants me to be scared for my life, and I can't live my life like that," she said, covering his hands with hers. "I'm not going to. I'm staying with you because I want to, not because of him. He wants me, I'll be waiting." Steve nodded. "I'm planning on leaving the party by midnight, so I should be home no later than twelve-thirty. I'll beep you when I'm on my way. And don't wait up for me, okay?"

"And if I do?"

"Then I'll show you the ass-kicking Kono's been teaching me."

He laughed. "Okay. Fair enough."

"Just one small thing; light the candle in the window for me before you go to bed, please."

"Sure, I can do that."

She smiled. "Thanks. I appriciate that."

Before she left, Steve took several pictures of Millie, claiming he was going to show them to the rest of the team, but the truth was he was being a bit paranoid. Halloween was a good night for the stalker to try something and having last-known pictures of Millie would help if it came to that. He just hoped the pictures he was taking wouldn't be the last ones he took.

As promised, he didn't wait up for her, heading for bed just after eleven, after lighting the candle as she had asked.

Around twelve forty-five, he woke up feeling confused. Millie wasn't there. In fact, Steve realized, he couldn't smell her perfume at all. Concerned, he got up and went downstairs, checking his phone as he did.

No messages.

Blackbird wasn't in the driveway and there were no signs she'd been in the house since she left.

He tried calling her cell, but his calls went straight to voicemail. He called Ashley, whom Millie had mentioned would also be at the party.

"Did you see her leave?" he asked the groggy woman.

"_Yeah, I did, and I didn't see Blackbird in the parking lot_," Ashley said.

"She's not home and I'm getting straight voicemail," Steve said.

"_Oh no_," Ashley said, realizing the problem. "_That's not like her_."

"No, it's not. Grab Sam and meet me at the party. I'm calling Danny."

"_Understood. We're on our way_."

Danny was not happy about the call but woke up fast when Steve explained the problem.

"_Damn it. Where's this party at?_" Steve told him. "_Okay, I'm on my way. You gonna put out a BOLO on her?_"

"That's my next call."

"_Okay, I'll call Kono and tell her to call Chin. Lou is yours_."

As Steve drove to the party, he put a BOLO out on Millie and Blackbird, and then called Lou, who promised to catch up to them as fast as possible.

At the party building, which was a rental hall, Sam and Ashley were waiting for them.

"This is where she was parked," Ashley said, taking the men over to a section of the parking lot that wasn't well-lit. "Stupid thing is, that light was working when we came in. I'm sure of it. Millie deliberately parked near that light."

Steve took out his flashlight and started checking the surrounding area,right along with Sam and Ashley. It was Sam who found Millie's smashed cellphone.

"Shattered glass. Could be from the light pole. Any cameras in the area?" Steve asked.

Ashley shook her head. Then her eyes lit on something; an empty syringe. "This isn't a high drug area," she said.

"Hey Steve, was Millie wearing press-on nails?" Sam asked.

"Yeah; black with red tips and a white gem. Why?" Steve asked, coming over. Sam pointed to his find; a black press-on nail with a red tip and a white gem.

"Those things do not come off easily," Ashley said, joining them, worry on her face. "If Millie was wearing that and she fought..."

"Combine that with the busted cellphone and the syringe and the fact that Blackbird's missing..." Sam said.

That did it. Millie had been kidnapped and Steve was officially scared.


	79. Chapter 79

**Chapter 79**

Steve got on his phone.

"Chin, head to Headquarters and find Blackbird," he told his friend. "It's missing."

"_On my way,_" Chin said.

His next call was CSU, specifically Charlie Fong. "Get down here. We found a syringe that may have been used on Millie, along with a press-on nail I know she was wearing."

"_DNA_," Charlie guessed. "_I'll be there as fast as I can_."

Danny had joined them, had been brought up-to-date on the situation and their finds, and was now yelling for his nephew. "Get down here! It's all hands on deck and that means you!" he snapped. "Millie's in trouble."

"_On my way, Unc_," Eric promised.

Steve's phone rang; it was Dispatch.

"McGarrett," he said.

"_An officer has located Officer Phelps's Jeep_," the operator said. She gave him an address.

"Tell the officer to sit on the Jeep until CSU and I get there," he said. He called Charlie and told him where to find the Jeep.

"_It's mine_," Charlie promised.

"Go," Danny said. "I'll wait until Eric shows up and I'll let Chin know."

"Anything we can do?" Ashley asked.

"Call your friends. Tell them what's going on and see if any of them remember anything about anyone. Someone had to know Millie was at this party and what she looked like," Steve said.

"Someone who wasn't a friend," Ashley said, getting the idea and digging out her phone. "And they might have pictures."

"If they do, get them to Headquarters," Steve said.

He headed for his truck and was at the address less than a minute later. The Jeep had been parked behind a building about a block from the party building. It had only been because of a cop with suspicious eyes that the Jeep had even been spotted. A standard plate run had brought up the BOLO.

"Thanks, man," Steve said to the officer, who nodded, his name tag reading Callaghan.

"I took a quick look but I didn't see anything out of the ordinary," Callaghan said, a young man with strawberry blonde hair and a light dusting of freckles across his face. "It's not even locked and the keys are on the driver side floor."

Steve snapped a pair of gloves on and checked the glove box. Everything that was supposed to be there was there, or so he thought. "She had a small folding pocket knife in here," he realized. "It's missing." Going over to the driver side, he noticed something. "Seat's too far back. Millie didn't drive Blackbird here."

"Any idea what this white stuff is?" Callaghan asked, shining his light on the driver side door. A white streak was on the window, about the height of Millie's face and head.

"She was wearing white face paint," Steve said, showing him the picture.

"That's going to hurt," Callaghan said, realizing what the mark on the window meant; Millie had been head-slammed into the Jeep window.

Then his phone rang again; Dispatch again. "McGarrett," he said.

"_I have a call for you from a Zander Barnett, who claims he has something very important regarding Officer Phelps and will only talk to you or Five-0_," the operator said.

"Why does that name sound familiar?" Steve muttered. "Patch him through."

"_Patching_," the operator said.

"Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett here. What can I do for you?" he said, putting his phone on speaker.

"_Commander, I'm Zander Barnett, host of_ Ghost Hunters. _I'm at a gas station on the Pali Highway and I just got handed a Navy ring on a chain by a woman in Sugar Skull face paint_," Zander said. Steve's eyes went wide and the blood drained from his face. "_She was seriously looped, like stoned or drugged looped, but she said her name was Officer Millie Phelps, but that you called her Nani and I had to get the ring to you as fast as I could_."

"Where are you?" Steve demanded. Zander told him. "I'm sending a cop to your location to talk to the cashier. Please tell me there's cameras in that area," he said, gesturing at the listening cop, who moved aside to do just that.

"_There is and there was one aimed at where we were_," Zander said. "_We got everything we could on our camera as well, sir. We tried to get audio but with the highway, it's kind of dicey at best_."

"Did you see the guy who took her?"

"_We did and we got it all on camera. We even got a plate_," Zander said. He gave the plate number to him and Callaghan, quick on the uptake, promptly started running it. "_It was on a large black and red truck that looks like it's seen better days. GMC, I think._"

Steve gave him the address of the Palace, where Headquarters was located. "Get there, now. If you guys are who I think you are, and you help me save Millie, I swear I will get you access to whatever restricted haunted location on the island you want."

There was a smile in Zander's voice. "_We'll talk about that later. Right now, let's save the damsel in distress_."

"What's so important about the ring?" Callaghan asked, watching his car computer scroll through information.

"It's a long story, but Millie once said that the only time it would ever come off is if she was in trouble," Steve said.

The computer beeped. "We have a hit. The plate comes back to a 1990 Mercedes car belonging to a Jeff Cameron," Callaghan said. His brow furrowed. "But didn't that guy say that Officer Phelps was in a GMC truck?"

"Stolen plates," Steve said. "Put out a BOLO."

"Doing it now," Callaghan said, getting on the radio.

"Stay here until CSU takes Blackbird," Steve said. "I'm heading for HQ."

"Understood, sir. May the road rise up to meet you," Callaghan said.

"Sorry?"

"Irish good luck blessing," Callaghan said, smiling. "Gramps used to say it all the time."

Steve nodded. "Mahalo," he said.

At Headquarters, the team was waiting for him, all looking just as wired and sleepyheaded as he was.

"Okay, Zander Barnett is going to be joining us. He saw Millie at a gas station on the Pali highway. I've already sent an officer there to get the video from the gas station and Zander said he got Millie on camera. Apparently she was awake enough to give him her ring," Steve said. "CSU is processing Blackbird, but I already know her knife is missing from her glove box. I don't know if she has it or her kidnapper has it. We found a white streak on the window that looks like she had her head slammed into the window, which could be how he attacked her. The driver's seat was also pushed back further than what she normally has it."

"So he knocked her out, drove the Jeep somewhere, and moved her to another location," Chin said. "Which fits with what I could find on her tracker. The tracking information says the Jeep left the parking lot just after midnight and has been sitting where it was found since."

Ashley handed Steve her phone, who put it on the table. "I put out a call to all my friends, explaining the problem, and they chainmailed the call. I've been getting pictures from everyone who was at the party."

"What are people saying?" Kono asked.

"That Millie left just after midnight and that her Jeep wasn't in the parking lot around twelve-fifteen, and that the light where she'd parked had been dark when a lot of people remember it being lit," Ashley said. "But no one remembers hearing a gunshot."

"Slingshot," Lou said. "Quieter, just as effective, and plenty of ammunition around."

"And easier to get, too," Chin said. "You don't need a license for a slingshot."

Something was bugging Steve. "HPD says the plate belongs to a Jeff Cameron," he said. "Wasn't there a Cameron in the SWAT training thing you and Millie did?" he asked Kono.

"There was," Kono said, watching as Chin pulled up the information.

"That cannot be a coincidence," Danny said.

Before Steve could do anything, an HPD officer joined them, followed by four men, one of whom Steve recognized. He nodded his thanks at the officer, who left.

"I'm Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett," he said. "This is Detective Danny Williams, Detective Chin Ho Kelly, Officer Kono Kalakaua, Captain Lou Grover, Sam Bryant (Millie's brother), and Ashley Byrd."

"Nice to meet you, even though I'm sure we all wish it was under better circumstances," Zander said, handing him a familiar Navy ring on a broken chain. "I'm Zander Barnett and these guys are Adam Gold, our a camera and tech operator, Brian Townley, our Audio-Visual analyst expert, and Jay Walsh, our audio tech for _Ghost Hunters_. " He held up a camera. "This is the video we got."

"Isn't that the paranormal t.v. show that Millie likes so much?" Kono asked.

Steve nodded. "She's a fan and a believer," he admitted.

Zander smiled. "Good to know. And I think you'll like this even more."

It took a few wires to the computer table but the play-back quickly started.

"We pulled up to this gas station to grab a bite to eat and get some gas and spotted this truck," Zander explained. "We always have the camera running because we never know what's going to happen."

_"What the hell?" _Zander could be heard saying_._

_"Something's wrong with her, man," _Brian said_._

_"You getting this?" _Zander asked.

_"Getting it. You gonna try and get closer?" _Adam asked_._

_"Yeah," _Zander said_. "Keep an eye out for trouble. Hey, hey sweetheart, are you okay?"_

Millie struggled to look at him, but her eyes clearly said she was drugged. She handed him a ring on a chain. _"Give this to Steve, Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett, Hawaii Five-0 Taskforce. HPD knows. Hurry," _she moaned.

_"Sure thing, sweetie," _Zander said, taking the ring and chain._ "What's your name?"_

_"Officer Millie Phelps. Steve calls me Nani. Hurry," _she moaned.

_"Hey! Get away from her!" _a male voice yelled.

_"Zander, man, get out of there! He's got a knife!" _Jay yelled.

_"Sorry, man," _Zander said, backing away from the truck while hiding the ring_. "Just worried about your girl. She don't look too good."_

_"She's drunk. I'm taking her home," _the man snapped._ "Fuck off!"_

Zander wisely backed off and watched as the man got in the truck and tore out of the parking lot. He looked back at his friends._ "We need to find a cop and find this Five-0 like fucking fast."_

"She may have been drugged, but she was clear-headed enough to talk to us and give Zander the ring," Adam said. "What's the deal with the ring, anyway?"

"It's a long story, but the short is she once said she would never take it off unless she was in trouble," Steve said.

"Oh she's in trouble all right, man," Jay said. "I tried to pick up as much audio as I could, and we even tried to get a shot of the driver."

"Running facial recognition now," Chin said, "And we may be able to narrow it down with that truck." The computer beeped. "We have a hit, and this cannot be a coincidence."

Steve stared at the screen. Marcus Cameron. And he had the same address as Jeff Cameron. "Danny, you and me, let's go." He went to his office and took one of his business cards before handing it to Zander. "Millie told me what you guys do. She's got some video and audio recordings she took on the Pali Highway just after she came here that she would love for you to see. Because of what you guys just did, if there's a restricted area that's on the list of haunted locations that you want to check out, you let me know and I'll get you access." Then he left, Danny hot on his tail.

The table chirped, signaling an incoming video call. It was Charlie and Eric.

"_The syringe, it had propofol. It's a fast-acting sedative with very few nasty side-effects, unless you count feeling seriously Jack Sparrow outta-this-world looped for a bit_." He caught the various glares and pushed on._ "The point is, there wasn't much in there, but it would have been enough to keep Millie out for an hour, maybe two, if this stuff hadn't been diluted, which it was. Half an hour, maybe forty-five at the most_," Eric said. "_Dental surgery offices use it for general anesthesia, and so do hospital, mostly on kids undergoing MRIs._" He looked the rest of the team hopefully. "_Look, I don't know Millie the way you guys do, but she's always been nice to me, and Grace obviously likes her_."

"So?" Lou asked impatiently.

"_So, based on what you guys have said about her, when the propofol wears off, this jerk is going to have his hands full, because I'm betting she's going to wake up madder than Courtney Love having a bad hair day. Good for her, not so good for her kidnapper_," Eric explained. "_I'm thinking busted balls, at the very least_."

"Eric's right; Millie's a fighter," Kono said.

"Were you able to get anything off that nail?" Chin asked.

"_We got DNA_," Charlie said. "_We're running it as fast as we can. We also got a print off the needle and we're running that as well_."

"We may have a name for you; Marcus Cameron. He has the same address as Jeff Cameron, an HPD officer."

"_That'll help narrow things down_," Charlie said.

"Anything on Blackbird?" Lou asked.

Both men shook their heads. "_The guy wore gloves_," Charlie said.

"_The seat was pushed back_," Eric said. "_Millie's what, five-four?_"

"At least," Kono said.

"_Leg measurements say the guy was at least six feet_," Eric said.

"That fits with Marcus' DMV description," Lou said.

"_Oh, and has Millie recently been in an area that has red dirt?_" Eric asked.

"Not to my knowledge, no," Chin said, while the rest of the team shook their head. "You found some?"

"_Yeah, in the floor mat. And that white stuff on the door window? That was face paint stuff_," Eric said.

"_She fought, but it looks like he hit her head against the door_," Charlie said. "_That would have rendered her dizzy, if not unconscious, giving her attacker time to put the needle in a vein._"

"_We also found a shoe print on the door, and it looks like a woman's size six_," Eric said. "_What kind of shoes was Millie wearing?_"

"Flats with a skeleton print on them," Chin said, pulling up the pictures Steve had taken of her before she'd left for her party.

"_Whoa. Cool costume!_" Eric explained. "_That explains the white face paint_."

"Okay, we have video of Millie being semi-conscious about ten, fifteen minutes ago," Kono said.

Both Charlie and Eric nodded. "_The stuff's starting to wear off_," Eric said. "_And based on my last trip to the dentist to have my own wisdom teeth taken out, she'll be conscious but not physically capable of doing anything just yet, if the drug doesn't play havoc with her mind_."

"Been there, done that," Zander said. "I had to have a nose job done because of chronic breathing problems and when I started coming off the anesthetic, I went nuts. What I said to the nurses is not worth repeating."

"_Bad?_" Eric asked, grinning.

"Frighteningly so," Zander said, a slight blush tinging his skin. "I sent them the biggest and best bouquet of flowers I could afford afterwards."

"All the more better for Millie," Chin said. "She's got a mean kick and an even meaner temper."

_Jeff Cameron's house:_

"All right, all right, I'm coming," Jeff grumbled. Who the hell would be at his door at this time of the night.

"Jeff Cameron, Five-0! Open up!" a male voice shouted, pounding on his door again.

_Five-0?_ He opened the door and found two very hostile-looking Five-0 members standing on his porch. Both men were wearing ballistic vests and neither looked very happy.

"Detective Danny Williams, and this is my partner, Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett. Do you know a Marcus Cameron?" Danny asked.

"Sure; he's my cousin. Why?"

"His plates are on your car and your plates are on his truck, which was last seen with a very unwilling Officer Millie Phelps," Steve snapped.

Jeff's eyes went wide and he pushed past the two men, heading for his car. Sure enough, the plate was wrong.

"Where is your cousin?" Steve demanded.

"He should be in the room above the garage," Jeff said, heading that way.

"What's his problem with Millie anyway?" Danny demanded.

"What do you mean?" Jeff asked, pounding on Marcus's door. "Marcus, open up!" There was no answer. "Marcus, damnit man, open up!"

"If he is who we think he is, then he's been stalking Millie and may have just kidnapped her," Danny said.

Jeff went pale. "Oh my god. No, no, no. Damnit, no," he moaned. He took aim at the door, which he knew had a flimsy lock, and shoulder-slammed it. He did it again with Steve's help, and the door flew open. Then he charged in, flicking light switches as he did.

"Marcus!" he yelled. He went into Marcus' bedroom and spotted an open closet door. What he saw had him going pale. "Oh Marcus, you stupid, stupid son of a bitch! Yes, I was mad at her, but not anymore! You stupid jerk, what the hell have you done?"

The inside of the closet was covered in photos of Millie, none of which looked like she knew she was being photographed. There were even photos of Blackbird, her cats, and her house. Some of the photos had the words _Die Bitch!_ scrawled across them in black marker.

"We need to find this son of a bitch, fast," Steve said.


	80. Chapter 80

**Chapter 80**

"Tell us everything you know about Marcus," Steve said, while Danny called CSU. "Why would he go after Millie and Kono?"

"He blames them for the fact that I dropped out of SWAT training," Jeff explained. "I admit I was pretty angry at first because those ladies kicked my ass, but it was deserved, and I admit I said a few things to Marcus, but I got over it and realized they were right; I wasn't ready. So I dropped out, and Marcus took it hard."

"It's your career, not his," Steve said.

"I know, but Marcus wanted to be a cop too, but he failed the psychological entrance exam," Jeff explained, "so he's been living his dreams through me. And when I dropped out of SWAT, which Marcus had been dreaming of, through me, he took it personally, especially when he found out about Officer Phelps and Kalakaua."

"He planted a GPS tracker on her Jeep using a credit card that belonged to a Thomas James," Danny said, joining them.

Jeff's brow furrowed. "I think that could be my sister-in-law's brother. He died a year or two ago, and Mae may have had his stuff up in the attic at their place. Diabetic problems or something."

"But how did he know where she would be tonight?" Steve asked. "Or what she would look like?"

"I don't know, but I do know what his cell number and email address is," Jeff said.

Steve brought up the messaging section on his phone to send a message to Chin. Then he handed his phone to Jeff. "You know what to do."

"I do," Jeff said, quickly inputting the information.

"Is there any place he could have gone that has red dirt or is near the Pali Highway?" Danny asked.

Jeff nodded, heading for his bungalow to get dressed. "There's an old house just off the highway. It used to be a mansion or something, some old rich place, that was abandoned years ago. We used to go there when we were teenagers, playing cops. Three floors, lots of rooms, a basement I think."

"He said he wanted to humiliate her the way she humiliated you," Steve said, watching as Jeff emerged from his bedroom, dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt. "Would he hurt her?"

"At this point, I don't know, which is why I'm coming with you," Jeff said, going to a safe and removing his service weapon and an extra clip. "Right now, I don't know what to think. He may think he's trying to get even on my behalf and may be seeking my approval, so I may stand a chance of talking to him."

Steve's phone rang. It was Chin.

"_We've got him. The map is saying he's at an old house about ten minutes off the Pali Highway. I ran a property check; the place was abandoned by the family that lived there, just after Pearl Harbour was bombed_."

"Scramble everyone and head there. We just got confirmation that it's Marcus and he knows the house," Steve said.

"_On our way_," Chin said.

_Old mansion just off Pali Highway:_

Millie's head hurt and she felt sluggish. She dimly remembered seeing Zander Barnett and giving him Steve's ring. Had that been a dream? The idiot in front of her sure wasn't.

The room she was in smelled musty and it looked dark. She shivered involuntarily and felt someone grip her wig, pulling her head back.

_Bad idea, _she thought, letting her head go back. The wig was held in place with bobby pins and a wig net, but with a good yank, it could come off.

"Hello, Miss High and Mighty Bitch," he said. Her kidnapper wore a black eye mask and had a clean-shaven face. His clothes were all black and he wore gloves.

She just looked at him, flexing her hands. They weren't bound, but she was tied to a wooden chair by her waist.

"I found your little toy gun," he continued.

She glanced around the room without moving her head, and spotted her derringer on a nearby table, two bullets beside it, gleaming in the faint light of the camp lantern on the table. She carefully wiggled her feet, testing them. They weren't tied up either.

_Just how stupid was this guy?_

"Who are you?" she asked.

"Marcus Cameron. You humiliated my cousin, you whore, and you're going to suffer. He dropped out of SWAT training because of you!" Marcus finished off yelling, spittle flying in her face.

"I take it you really idolize your cousin, hmm?" she asked.

"He is me and I am him," Marcus boasted.

There had been a Cameron in the training group she and Kono had tangled with, Millie remembered. _Jeeze, that was weeks ago. Why now?_

"My friend, he helped me find you. He told me where to find you at that little party of yours," Marcus boasted. "He thinks you deserve to be punished, to be humiliated the same way you humiliated my cousin."

"Really?" Millie asked softly. "Want to know what I think?"

"What?" he asked, running a hand up her leg.

She slammed her head into his face, breaking his nose. He yelled in pain, staggering back, and holding his broken nose. As blood gushed down his face, she reached for her Talon and quickly cut herself out of her ropes.

"I think you forgot I'm wearing a wig," she said.

He yelled angrily and charged. She turned sideways and kicked out, catching him first in the knee and then the groin. He dropped like a rock and she snapped a kick at his head, sending him to the ground.

_Kono was right; it's all in the leg_, she thought, smiling to herself with grim satisfaction.

"Bet you didn't count on that, did you?" she asked, heading for the table. Her legs were still a bit wobbly, but she could run if need be. She calmly picked up the little derringer and cracked it open. Then she loaded the two bullets and snapped the chamber shut. In the distance, she was sure she could hear the sound of sirens.

Marcus sneered at her, his eyes watering from his broken nose and sore testicles.

"You can't hurt me," he said.

"We'll see," she said. And then she fired.

He yelled as the two bullets slammed into him, causing him to stagger back. While he recovered, she put her derringer on the table, adjusted her knife, and set it on her hand properly. Then he straightened up, and smiled nastily.

"I'm bulletproof, babe," he snarled, revealing his soft ballistics vest. Then he rushed her. He managed to get his hands around her throat before she slammed the Talon into the spot below the vest, a weak spot she knew about. He grunted in pain and shock, not quite letting go of her neck.

"Too bad you're not knife-proof," she shot back, yanking the knife across his stomach. She didn't think she'd caught his kidneys, but she did know he'd be hurting for a while.

As he staggered back, clutching his stomach, she slashed at his face, leaving a gash across his cheek and mouth, before kicking him in the chest. She grabbed the wooden chair she'd been sitting on and swung, sending it shattering across his back when he tried to turn to protect himself. The plate she threw missed, and went sailing out the window. She thought she heard someone yell. The heavy metal vase she threw at Marcus, didn't miss, catching him across the head and sending him down.

Then, still holding on to the Talon, she headed for the doorway, looking for the stairs. She heard a crashing noise as someone slammed a door open and heard Steve yelling for her. Her knees nearly buckled with relief.

"Up here!" she yelled.

"Millie!" Steve yelled, rushing up the stairs towards her. Right behind him was the rest of the team, relief evident on their faces.

She smiled at him, watching as he put his gun away. "Hey Handsome," she said, hugging him as tightly as he was hugging her.

"Are you okay? Where's Marcus?" he demanded, checking her over.

"Two doors down, just off to the right," she said. "He's wearing a ballistics vest, but I got some practice with this nice little fellow," she continued, holding up her bloody weapon. "Might want to call an ambulance; caught his head with a very nice metal vase as well." Then she smiled as a stupid thought occurred to her. "Those guys from_ Salvage Dawgs_ would have a field day with this place."

"They would, huh?" he asked, grinning in relief.

"Yup. In fact, once you guys cuff Marcus, I want to go back in there and take a closer look at that vase."

"You're crazy," Danny said.

Suddenly, there was an angry yell from within the house. Half expecting it, Millie grabbed Steve's gun from his thigh holster, pulled pack the safety, and spun to face her tormentor, who was charging down the hall. While everyone reacted in shock, reaching for their own weapons, Millie proceeded to rapidly fire off the gun, striking a charging Marcus in the chest repeatedly, walking forward as she did so, Steve right behind her. Marcus staggered back, before finally falling on the floor. As she continued to walk towards him, she ejected the empty clip, handed it to Steve, who handed her a fresh clip. She slapped the clip in, racked the slide, and pulled back the safety.

Marcus lay on the floor, laughing hysterically. "You can't hurt me with bullets," he chortled.

"Actually, yes, I can. The bullets might not penetrate your vest, but there's still the impact of the bullet, which is about the equivalency of being hit in the chest by a baseball bat, being wielded by Captain America. It smarts like an absolute bitch and leaves a hellava bruise," Millie said.

"You don't have the guts to kill me," Marcus taunted.

"Oh, I don't have to kill you," she said. "That's too easy for a freak like you. However, based on what you've told me, you are going to have to explain yourself to the very cousin you idolize." She smiled brightly. "Won't that be fun?"

"He'll be proud of me," Marcus boasted as he was surrounded by the rest of the team and quickly cuffed him.

"Somehow I seriously doubt that," Danny said. "Up, up you go, loser. We'll get your little boo boo taken care of in a minute. I really do hope it hurts."

"And Marcus?" said an unfamiliar male in jeans, shirt, and ballistics vest. Marcus' eyes went wide. "We need to talk, _cousin_."

"Jeff Cameron," Steve said to Millie, who handed him back his gun, and letting her lead him to her former prison. "He's Marcus' cousin and he didn't know about this. He's one of the guys from the SWAT training you and Kono did."

"And we humiliated him," Millie said.

"Which resulted in him dropping out of the SWAT training program. He decided he wasn't ready and Marcus took it personally."

"Why?"

"Because Marcus was living his dreams through Jeff," he said, watching as Millie picked up her derringer and the metal vase. She then spotted something on one of the tables and picked it up. It was a nice glass vase. A bit dusty and grimy, but a good wash would clean it up easily.

"Which explains his comment, 'I am him and he is me. Regular nutcase job."

Steve nodded. "Chin said the original family abandoned this place just after Pearl Harbour was bombed."

"How did Marcus know about this place?"

"We used to play here all the time as kids," Jeff said, joining them. He offered his hand to Millie, who shook it. "I'm really sorry about this, ma'am. I had absolutely no idea Marcus would do this."

"I'm not angry with you. In fact, I think I'm still a bit too stoned to be angry at you. Marcus, not so much," Millie admitted. "Steve said you left SWAT."

"Yeah, I did. I decided you guys were right; I wasn't ready. I admit I was pretty angry at first, but then I calmed down and thought about things," Jeff said. "I just don't know what the hell I'm going to do now."

"What do you mean?" Steve asked.

"Word's going to get around real quick that my cousin kidnapped a Five-0 team member," Jeff said. "That's just as bad as being labelled a dirty cop. Any chance of a career I had, it's just been shot right out the window, just like the plate we saw."

"That was me," Millie admitted.

"In that case, Danny doesn't like you," Steve said, grinning at her. "It nearly missed his head and this place is pretty creepy looking as it is."

Millie grunted softly. "I'll laugh about it later. Right now, I just want to go home."

"We can do that," Steve said.

"As for you, bucko, I have a few friends," Millie said. "Let me look at your file and then maybe I can help you avoid some of the fall-out from this. Look up NCIS when you get home." Millie then headed down the stairs, accepting hugs from Kono and Chin. Outside, she was given hugs by Danny and Lou, while Steve called Sam and let him know his baby sister was okay. After giving Danny her knife for evidence, she climbed into Steve's truck and put her treasures in the back seat for now. She was nearly asleep when Steve gently nudged her awake.

"Paramedics are here. I want them to check you over, and then we'll head home," he said. "Jeff and Lou are going to go with Marcus. And Sam knows you're okay and says as soon as you've had a chance to get some sleep, he'll catch up to you and crack your ribs."

"Okay. Umm, Marcus did mention having a friend who had told him where I was and that I deserved to be humiliated and punished," Millie said. "Insider, maybe? And why now? That training thing was weeks ago."

"I don't know. CSU is looking at everything we found at Marcus' apartment, and Eric is going through his email. We'll find his friend, one way or another."

"How did you find me?"

"Marcus' cellphone. Chin pinged it."

Millie grunted. "I was right; the guy is stupid. He tied me up around my waist, but not my hands or feet. Oh, and he forgot I was wearing a wig. Broken nose time."

"And very nicely done too."

The paramedics checked her over and gave her a clean bill of health, aside from a nasty goose egg on her forehead and the propofol still in her system.

As Steve drove towards home, she heard the radio playing.

_Looking back  
On the memory of  
The dance we shared  
Beneath the stars above  
For a moment  
All the world was right  
How could I have known that you'd ever say goodbye_

_And now I'm glad I didn't know  
The way it all would end  
The way it all would go  
Our lives are better left to chance  
I could have missed the pain,  
But I'd of had to miss the dance_

_Holding you, I held everything  
For a moment wasn't I the king?  
But if I'd only known how the king would fall  
And who's to say?  
You know, I might have changed it all_

"Steve?" Millie asked softly.

"Yeah, babe?"

"I don't care about the past. I wouldn't have changed anything, because if I did, it wouldn't have brought me here," she said sleepily. "What's done is done." She smiled. "And this has been one heck of a dance."

Steve glanced at her; she was almost asleep again. He reached out and gripped her hand, feeling her grip him back just as tightly. "Yeah; it has been."


	81. Chapter 81

**Chapter 81 **

Millie stretched, groaning softly, before glancing at Steve's alarm clock. It was nearly ten in the morning.

"Hey, sweetie," Steve said, joining her on the bed. He was dressed and it looked like he'd showered.

"Hey yourself, handsome," she said, sitting up, trying to remember things from last night. She remembered coming home and getting the make-up off her face and stripping off her clothes, but she didn't remember dreaming. The propofol must've done a serious number on her. She was dressed in a nightgown, one of her favourite long cotton and lace ones, but she still felt grubby.

"How are you feeling?" he asked after kissing her.

"Okay. Trying to remember things," she said.

"What do you remember?"

"I remember reaching for my phone to send you a message to let you know I was on my way home and then feeling someone grab me by the neck and slam my head into something hard. I remember trying to reach back and claw whoever it was, but I was pretty dizzy. I felt a prick in my arm and I don't remember much after that for a bit," she said, brow furrowing as she tried to think. "I think I saw Zander Barnett at one point and I think I gave him the ring, but what are the chances?"

"Very good, actually. He was at the same gas station Marcus stopped with you and thanks to him and his guys, we got a solid lead on you," Steve said.

"I owe them a favour, right?"

"They want to see the video and recordings you got from the Pali highway."

"That can be arranged. Any idea who Marcus' friend is?"

"Does the name Michael Emmers sound familiar?"

Millie thought for a moment. "I think so. Isn't he Scott Warner's lawyer?"

"One and the same. Marcus gave up the email address and phone number that ties back to him and his office, and a number of witnesses against Emmers clients have had problems before testifying, if they even managed to do that," Steve said. "Nothing was ever proven, though, but there is a detective who is very interested in him. We're reaching out to him and seeing what falls out of the tree."

"Which would explain why Marcus would suddenly come after me now; I'm due to testify against Warner on Monday. But it's just a minor fraud case. Why go to this extreme?"

"What do you remember about the case?"

"As far as I know, it's a credit card fraud case. Denning and I hadn't crossed paths yet and I happened to see something in Rossco's files and put two and two together and the next thing I know, I'm helping him arrest the guy. A little bit of giggling, a little bit of flirting, and letting it slip I needed a credit card but had a sucky credit rating. Next thing I know, bada-bing, bada-boom, bada-busted! Rossco asked me if he could call me up again the next time he needed that kind of help and I said no. He was laughing his ass off when he found out what I'm doing now," Millie grumbled.

Steve grinned at her before sobering. "The others are going after Emmers and will be coordinating with Rossco. They wanted me to tell you that Jeff was a big help and thanks to him, Marcus sang like a canary and confessed to everything. Word is, his family isn't too happy with him."

"I'll get in touch with Henrietta Lange, see if maybe I can pull a favour. NCIS would be a good way for him to disappear," Millie said. "But first, I have to get a new phone. I wonder if I can transfer my old phone number to the new phone."

"You should be able to," Steve said. "And since you regularly back it up, I don't think you'll have much of a problem with everything else."

"Hope not. There were some photos on there I cherish," she said. "And some I'd rather not make public." She glanced at him and started blushing, which caused him to smile.

"Are you still going to rent out your house?"

"That was on my list of things to do today, as soon as I get a phone back. Did you guys find my wallet in Blackbird?"

"Yeah, we did. Eric's got it. We'll pick that up first and then take care of everything else," he promised.

"In that case, shower time," she said, bouncing out of bed and then nearly hitting the floor as her knees gave out from under her. "Jeeze frickin' Louise," she muttered as Steve helped her stand up. "Please tell me I put the hurt on that squirrelly little weasel," she said as he helped her towards the bathroom.

"You did. Plenty of bruises, couple of cracked ribs, stitches, the works," he promised. "He's going to be hurting for quite a while."

"Good. How'd it go with the kids last night?"

"They all said the graveyard was the coolest thing they'd ever seen and wanted to know if I was going to do it again next year," he said, grinning. "I told them you'd try."

A short while later, Millie was showered and dressed and so was Steve, again. Then, after getting some coffee and breakfast, they were off. The first stop was CSU, where Millie got Blackbird and her wallet back. She drove to Headquarters, with Steve behind her, and parked Blackbird there for now. After receiving hugs and assurances she was fine, she gave the team the Scott Warner case file and told them what she knew. She was given Jeff Cameron's file on her iPad and made a note to go through it as soon as she could get in touch with Henrietta Lange.

Then she went with Steve and replaced her cell phone with a new iPhone 6S. The sales girl, once the situation was explained, was able to help Millie transfer everything, including her old phone number, to the new phone. A quick, out-of-curiosity stop at the local Disney store netted Millie an iPhone case with a sketch of Ariel on the front, and a small Stitch beanbag that she swore was going in her office.

As they drove through the city, Millie forced herself to relax. After all, this was probably one of the few days she and Steve were going to get to act as a couple instead of boss and secretary. Steve seemed to be thinking the same thing, because yes, he had his gun and badge, but he was relaxed and his shirt was covering said weapon and badge at the moment, indicating he wasn't on duty but he was prepared.

They stopped at a local Dairy Queen and had lunch, talking about everything and anything except work. Then they headed for her house to get what she needed out before turning the house over to Greg and his wife, Chaine, and their six year-old son, Dwayne. All the couple knew was that Millie had asked them to stop by in a bit. They didn't know about what she was planning and as Millie explained, that was half the fun.

"So just some more clothes, wall stuff, and the stuff in your bookcases and garage?" Steve asked as they pulled up to the house.

"Yup. I had the window fixed just after Marcus catnapped the kitties," Millie said. Her phone rang; it was Henrietta Lange. Before she answered, she told Steve where to find some empty boxes and packing tape. "Ms. Lange, thank you for returning my call."

"_A pleasure, my dear, and please call me Hetty. Callen and Sam spoke very highly of you and your team,_" Hetty said. "_What can I do for you?_"

"I need a favour. Would you be willing to take on an HPD officer?"

"_It would depend on the situation_," Hetty said carefully.

"His name is Jeff Cameron. His cousin, Marcus, is currently being charged with unlawful confinement and kidnapping and stalking and a few other things," Millie said.

"_I see_," Hetty said, her voice indicating she didn't.

"I was the victim," Millie said.

"I_ see_," Hetty said, now understanding.

"Jeff is not at fault for what happened. However, his cousin, Marcus, kidnapped me because he was trying to punish me for causing Jeff to drop out of SWAT training a couple of weeks back," Millie explained. "Kono and I ran circles around him and a few other guys during a house simulation training session. He dropped out of the program because he realized he wasn't ready. Marcus had been living his dream of being a cop through his cousin and when Jeff dropped out, Marcus took it personally."

"_And went after you_," Hetty said.

"Exactly. Now, in a large city, this wouldn't be a problem, but this is Honolulu and I'm known, and so is Five-0. Marcus just killed Jeff's career and because I don't blame Jeff, I'm trying to help him," Millie said. "From what I was told, Jeff was instrumental in helping find me and getting his cousin to talk. NCIS is a good way for him to still have a career in law enforcement but also disappear until such a time that this little mess gets forgotten about."

"_I agree. Very well. Send me his file and contact information and I will make the arrangements,_" Hetty said. She rattled off an email address and Millie quickly accessed the file on her iPad and sent it to Hetty.

"It's coming your way now. I appreciate this and I owe you a favour."

"_My dear, if this works out, then it's I who will be owing you a favour, and I would love to try some of your drinks from down there_."

Millie chuckled softly. "Tell you what; when I kick Jeff your way, I'll send a bottle of genuine okolehao with him, for you, as a thank you gift."

"_Done. Give me the day and I will call you with my decision or recommendation_," Hetty said.

"Understood. Mahalo and aloha."

"_You too, my dear_."

Millie headed inside in time to see Steve packing up her bookcase.

"You have a lot of books on the paranormal," he commented, accepting her kiss.

She shrugged. "It's an interest," she said. "I loved that walk we went on, the Haunted Historical one. That was fun."

He smiled. "Then we'll make it a yearly thing. How's that sound?"

"Sounds good to me. Is there anything in the garage you want?"

"I'll check," he said.

It took them less than an hour to pack things and just as less time for Millie to fire off an e-mail to the Pepperidge family, outlining her offer. Take care of the house, take care of her roses, rent was $1K a month, no damage deposit, et cetera, et cetera. She got a reply back a few minutes later.

"Are you serious?" she said, reading the reply. "Of course I'm serious! Key's in the mailbox. I'll send you the formal papers later."

Steve smiled at her. "You're doing a good thing."

"They're a good couple," she replied, doing up her seatbelt. "Anything else?"

"The _Ghost Hunter _fellows," Steve said. "They want a peek at your Pali Highway recordings."

"Right. And I need to thank them for helping me."

"That you do."

As Steve drove through Honolulu to drop off the various boxes at his place, Millie sent Zander Barnett a tweet.

"Boys, your friendly neighbourhood skeleton girl is awake. If you want to see the Pali Highway recordings from seven years ago, we need to catch up. Call the boss," she said as she typed. "That should get their attention."

It did. A few minutes later, Steve's cell rang.

"McGarrett," he said, putting the call on speaker.

"_Commander, it's Zander Barnett. How is Millie doing?_"

"Very well, thank you," Millie said. "I remember seeing you, but you'll have to excuse me if the memories are a bit fuzzy."

"_Given what you had in your system, I'm not surprised,_" Zander said. "_We've been hearing a lot of stories about the Pali Highway, especially the original one. Is it true you got some recordings of that?_"

"I did, and I also got a Class A EVP," Millie said. "Took me a bit of research, but I was able to translate what was said, because it was said in Hawaiian."

"_That would be so cool_," Zander said. "_We were thinking about doing a night time investigation of the Pali Highway tomorrow night. Care to join us?_"

Millie glanced at Steve.

"Go for it," he said. "You never know what would happen. Just don't tell Danny; he's still a little jumpy around ghosts."

Millie grinned. "I have a court case to deal with in the morning, but after that, I'm all yours, boys," she said to Zander. "This is my number." She rattled off her personal cell phone number.

"_Done and done. Can we hook up later today? Say sixish?_" Zander asked. "_We're at the Ala Moana Hotel._"

"I know of it. Good place," Steve said. "We'll meet you there."

"_Fantastic. Catch you on the fly_," Zander said, ending the call.

They dropped the boxes off at home and then headed back to Headquarters, where the team was waiting for them, along with Rossco and a detective who was introduced as Ronald Harvey.

"What's up?" Steve asked.

"Emmers set Millie up is what's up," Danny said. "Eric found e-mails and text messages between Marcus and Emmers and Emmers played Marcus, big time. He knew who you were, knew how to find you, and it didn't take much for him to go to that party and spot you. Once he did, he took a few pictures and sent them to Marcus."

"And because I didn't recognize him, I wouldn't have spotted him," Millie guessed.

"Check these out," Kono said, throwing up various pictures on the main screen. They were all of Millie or the party, and in all of them was someone in a long black hooded robe with flared sleeves, wearing a skull mask and a fake scythe, looking like the Grim Reaper. Wherever Millie was, the Grim Reaper was nearby. "Kinda hard to figure out who that is with that getup," she said. "But that's no coincidence. And then there's this." She pulled up another picture, one of the Grim Reaper with his mask pushed up his face and his ungloved hands working on a black cell phone. "Facial recognition says that's Emmers."

"Bada-bing, bada-boom, bada-busted," Millie said coldly. She looked at Rossco. "Think you can get him?"

"No, but this fellow can," Rossco said, pointing to Harvey.

"Right now, as it stands, I've got him for witness tampering and accessory to kidnapping and attempted murder," Harvey said. "The attempted murder will be a bit harder to prove, but it'll still make his life a living hell."

"Fine by me. What about Warner?" Millie asked, shrugging.

"I'll deal with him," Rossco said, the look on his face said he would enjoy the meeting.

"This also explains why Marcus started going after you now," Lou said. "The court case. If you're out of the way, Emmers probably figures the case won't have a leg to stand on."

"All I did was help bust the guy," Millie grumbled.

"And you did such a beautiful job of it too," Rossco teased. "Warner asked me afterwards who the babe was and if he could get your number. I warned him you had a mean bat swing and an equally mean golf swing."

"Bat swing, yes. Golf swing, not so much," Millie admitted sheepishly. "Lou tried to go golfing with me once. I hit the ball, just not always where I wanted it to. It turns out golf balls bounce off trees real good. Heads, not so much."

"That ain't the only balls you hit," Lou grumbled, causing laughter amongst the others.

"That was an accident!" Millie protested. "And I bought you lunch afterwards!"

"An accident. Sure. Shortest round of golf I ever played," Lou said. "And it's the last round I ever play with you. I'm too damn scared to go near you and a golf club again."

"You're going to be more scared if she gets a bat and a ball in her hands," Steve predicted. "Her ball speed is incredible."

"I can do a line drive like you wouldn't believe," Millie said. "Not as well as I used to since I broke my wrist, but I can still hit 80."

"I'll believe it when I see it," Lou said.

"I'll get the bat and the ball," Millie said.

"And I'll get the camera," Steve said.


	82. Chapter 82

**Chapter 82**

"Pack your bags," Millie told Jeff Cameron. "Henrietta Lange will be sending you a flight ticket to Los Angeles, and you will be reporting for NCIS agent training. She's the director of operations over there and she has agreed to take you on as a favour to me. She thinks you have potential and that's high praise coming from her."

Jeff nodded, tired resignation in his eyes. "NCIS is a federal thing, if I was reading right," he said.

"That's right. Depending on what happens, you could wind up anywhere, but at least you won't have Marcus on your shoulder," Millie said. "You have the chance to make something of yourself that doesn't involve him, and I think you'll do well. You're not being punished; you're being protected."

"Then why does it feel like a punishment?" he asked bitterly.

"Little thing called betrayal, maybe? Embarrassment? Blaming yourself for not seeing what you think you should have seen, even though we're not blaming you but thanking you for trying to help?" Steve asked. "Wondering if the whole family looks down on you for what happened?

Jeff smiled tightly. "Got it in one. Hopefully I can come back some day."

"NCIS does have an office here," Steve said, offering a kind smile. "You never know."

_Later,_ _Ala Moana Hotel:_

Zander's eyes had gone wide as he listened to Millie's recording from seven years ago.

Drumming, then a conch shell could clearly be heard being blown. Then, four seconds later, a voice whispered, "_E komo mai, keiki._"

"E komo mai, keiki," Zander repeated. "That is a Class A EVP, without a doubt," he said, as the rest his crew listened to the recording. "Absolutely beautiful Class A."

"It sounds like the drumming and conch sound could be a residual thing," Adam said. "The Pali Highway was the site of some pretty nasty battles."

"I agree," Zander said. "Do you know what was being said, what e komo mai, keiki means?" he asked Millie.

"_Welcome, child_," Millie said. "I also felt a brush across my forehead and smelled hibiscuses."

"There's an old Hawaiian tradition of touching the forehead during a greeting," Steve explained. "It's part of the legends of three of the major Hawaiian gods, Kāne, Lono, and Kū, who pulled away from the endless darkness, Po, and brought forth light to keep Po back. They breathed life into man, who was made in the form of Kāne, and so when the foreheads were touched, we were symbolically breathing life into each other, as the three gods once did."

"That's interesting," Zander said, meaning it.

"It's not done as often, but it's still done," Millie said, "especially amongst the more traditional Hawaiians. The research I did afterwards is what convinced me to stay in O'ahu; the more I learned about the land and the people, the more I fell in love."

"Wow," Zander said. "Did anything else happen to you while you were there?"

"I saw someone that looked like this fellow," Millie said, pulling up a file. It was a picture of a re-enactment Hawaiian warrior who had kindly posed for her once. "I saw him, he stared at me for like two seconds, and then vanished. I scared but I wasn't stupid enough to run. I could have gotten hurt if had and from what I've seen and read from you guys, I decided to stick around a bit longer. According to my research, that fellow was more than likely a warrior and these were the kind of guys you just did not tangle with."

"Oh I'll bet," Zander said.

They had met at the hotel with Steve and Millie and were sitting in a quiet area of the hotel. Millie had brought her iPad with her and shown the _Ghost Hunters_ her files on her night at the Old Pali Highway. After assuring the concerned team that she was okay and that the investigation into her kidnapping was progressing, she had told them what had happened seven years ago.

"Has anything changed since that night?" Zander asked.

Millie smiled and glanced at Steve. "Yeah, a lot, especially in the last few months. O'ahu is my home, my kauhale. Yes, I have family in Oregon, and yes, I miss them sometimes, but this island is my home and there are people here who are 'ohana, family. I do a lot of good here."

"It sure sounds like it," Zander said, clearly impressed. "I would love to have you join us tomorrow night," he said. "You're already familiar with the area and it sounds like you had a personal connection with a spirit in the area."

"Oh, I'm game," Millie said. She glanced at Steve. "Wanna come?"

Steve smiled and shook his head. "Not this time. One of us needs to be able to stay awake at our desk, and stop Danny from teasing you about your late night dates."

_A few days later:_

Millie had testified at Scott Warner's trial without a hitch and Warner had gotten a public defense lawyer who had not been amused at the situation. Subsequently, the judge had found Warner guilty of fraud and sentenced him accordingly. As for Emmers, he had problems of his own, and none of it good, especially with District Attourney Ellie Clayton going after him, thanks to Detective Harvey.

The late night investigation with the _Ghost Hunters_ crew had gone off without a hitch and Millie told Steve the team had gotten some pretty interesting evidence around that area. They would let her know when they were broadcasting that particular episode.

Right now, it was quiet, but Steve knew it was bound to get busy again, with Thanksgiving coming up in a few weeks.

Steve looked up when someone knocked on his office door; it was Sam. He gestured for the man to come in.

"Hey. I think Millie's around here somewhere," he said.

"I hope not," Sam said, coming in and sitting in the chair across from Steve's desk. "I've got a bit of a problem that I need help with."

"Okay."

"Peter's in town tomorrow."

"Peter, the lawyer brother who made Millie's life hell?"

"One and the same. He's part of a team of lawyers on some big corporate case and he called me up, thanks to Mom having my number. Wants to get together and dropped a hint about maybe staying here."

"Not a chance."

"Not in hell," Sam said, agreeing.

"What do you need?"

"Keep Millie busy for twenty-four hours. By the time I'm finished with Peter, he's going to be puking his guts up for the next week, and I guarantee you he will never come near this island again," Sam said, a nasty smile on his face. "She'll kill me for not telling her, but I'm more afraid of what she'll do to him if she gets her hands on him than what she'll do to me. I failed to protect her when she was a kid; I won't fail again."

"You know she's forgiven you for that, right?"

"Good. I haven't. He says he'll be staying at the Hinton."

"That may be a problem," Steve said. "HSPCA is doing a fundraiser slash adoption thing there tomorrow and Millie's in the thick of it. She's helping with the spaying and neutering awareness while also trying to encourage attention to senior cats and dogs."

"Sounds like Millie. And I whole-heartedly agree with the senior thing."

"How's Gandalf doing by the way?"

"He's settling in real good. The secretaries at my boss's office love him and the guys refer to him as Boss Cat. It's gotten so bad I had to figure out how to make a seatbelt harness and booster seat for him for the truck because he insists on coming along for the ride."

"You're serious," Steve said, grinning at the thought.

Sam showed him a picture of Gandalf in his truck, wearing a seatbelt harness and sitting on a cushioned booster seat, looking quite happy with life. "Got pulled over by a cop once because the guy couldn't believe what he was seeing. No ticket, just what the hell?" Sam said.

"What the hell is right," Steve said, chuckling. "And I thought Millie and Lunkhead were bad."

"What time's this event?"

"Between ten and five."

Sam thought for a moment. "He won't be in until tomorrow afternoon, and he's flying with a bunch of other lawyers. I'm betting the event will be in one of the ballrooms near the entrance. If I can get to him before he gets to the ballroom, I'm going to get him out of the Hinton and rip-snorting drunk."

"Then what?"

Sam smiled evilly. "There was a certain incident involving Millie being deliberately abandoned in some dark woods."

"I know of it," Steve admitted. "And I know nothing, but I may know someone who can get you a bottle of moonshine okolehao and that will get him drunk faster than you can say boo-yah."

"I thought moonshine was illegal," Sam said, his brow furrowing.

"It is, but that doesn't stop one of Chin's uncles from making the stuff," Steve said, refering to Chin's Uncle Choi, whom Danny had met once during a case involving a kid's missing dad and moonshine.

"And the fact that it's illegal and he's a lawyer with an attitude..." Sam started grinning. "This is going to be one trip Peter is never going to forget."

"Let's hope he never comes back."

_Twenty-four hours later:_

" Don't worry, Zombies only eat brains. You're safe," Peter's shirt read. His nice suit was gone, replaced with cotton shorts and a stupid shirt Sam had coaxed his younger brother into once he was appropriately soused, and right now Peter was well and truly soused.

"Fly me to the moon

Let me play among the stars

Let me see what spring is like

On a-Jupiter and Mars

In other words, hold my hand

In other words, baby, kiss me

Fill my heart with song

And let me sing for ever more

You are all I long for

All I worship and adore

In other words, please be true

In other words, I love you," Peter sang drunkenly, staggering and dancing at the same time.

Sam smirked as he watched, his cellphone camera recording Peter's antics. Peter was a happy drunk, thankfully, but still a drunk, and he had been real easy to get drunk. Uncle Choi had gladly given Sam a bottle of his moonshine, after cautioning him to be careful with it, and Sam had gladly paid for it after getting a whift of the stuff. Now Sam was helping Peter up the path to an abandoned bungalow, one he found during his house hunting. The place wasn't too bad but it needed major repair work to be even half-way close to being safe to be called a home again. Sam figured the best thing for that house was to just bulldoze the thing and start over, but that hadn't been what he was looking for. This particular house was a bit off the beaten path, so Peter was going to have fun finding his way back when he eventually woke up, and having a hangover was going to make things twice as bad.

"We're almost there, buddy," Sam said.

Peter laughed, staggering along. "Fuck man, I love you, and I love this crazy batshit island. I'm gonna love making Wilma's life hell, just like she made Mom's life hell."

"What did she ever do to you?" Sam asked.

"She existed. She took money that was ours and she ran like the little coward she was. She embarassed me in court," Peter ranted. "Mom never wanted her like she wanted us. That money should've been ours, and Mom should have married Vincent, but that bitch destroyed that too, because she couldn't keep her fat mouth shut. Had to blab our secrets to the world, that bitch. I'm gonna ruin her, brother, I'm gonna make her suffer so bad she'll pay me to go away." Peter laughed. "But I'm never going away. I'm never, ever gonna go away." Peter laughed and turned towards Sam, a drunken grin on his face. "And then, you know what else I'm gonna do?"

"What are you going to do, Peter?" Sam asked.

"I'm gonna go after her precious Five-0. I'm gonna find every bad guy they ever put away and I'm gonna make Five-0's life a living hell until they get rid of her, like the piece of dirt she is." He laughed.

_No, Peter, I'm going to make your life a living hell_, Sam thought, dearly wishing he could punch his younger brother out. "I don't think your bosses would think too highly of that," he said.

"My bosses? Did you know one of my bosses is a woman?" Peter asked, waggling a drunken finger at him. "She's got a sweet set of tits on her and I'd love nothing more than to bend her over my desk and screw her so hard she screams." He laughed. "That's the only thing women like her are good for with me; getting screwed. I hate women like her. I hate anyone who has power over me."

Sam smiled. "You mean like Mom?"

"Mom's a cock-sucking, money-hungry whore," Peter shot back.

_Who is going to slap your face if she ever sees this_, Sam thought, smiling tightly as Peter began signing again.

"Oh, fly me to the moon. Let me play among the stars..."

_The next morning, McGarrett place:_

Steve's face had gone tight as he watched Sam's recording.

"I hate to ask this, but is the bastard okay?" he asked.

"Reluctantly, yes. I picked him up about half an hour ago and dropped him off at the hotel," Sam said. "I showed him the video and told him he had two choices; get off the island, now, or I would release the video on YouTube and I would tag him and his lawyer corporation. Oh, and I might or might not release it to his bosses and Mom."

"What did he do?"

"Tried not to throw up and begged me not to release the video. Called me a few choice names, made a few empty threats, but did eventually promise to be off the island within the next three hours. He knows I'll be checking."

"What are you going to do?"

"Yes, Sam, what are you going to do?" Millie asked coldly, joining them.

Both men looked at her with wide eyes. "I'm going to go get some coffee. Want some?" Steve asked.

"Please and thank you," Sam said.

"Was that Peter on that video?" Millie asked, hands on her hips.

"Yes, it was," Sam said. He showed her the video and watched as a scowl crossed her pretty face. "I have an explanation for this, kiddo."

"Considering how close I am to belting you, it had better be good," she growled.

Sam smiled, not in the least afraid of her. "I couldn't protect you when we were growing up. I can protect you now. I know how to deal with jackasses like Peter and right now, I have him by his ever-lovin' balls and he knows it. Had you gone after him, like I know you probably would have, he would have used the opportunity to sue you and make your life a misery. You deserve a chance to be happy, and Peter would have taken that away."

"I should have been told, you over-sized gorilla! I am more than capable of defending myself! Do that again and I will deep-fry your nuts and feed them to the local shark populaton, before or after I stick a crab in your bed!" Millie snapped.

"Millie?"

"What?"

Sam did the same thing he'd once did to Lunkhead; he hissed at her. Millie stared at him in shock and then lost it.

"You stubborn, crazy, stupid son of a bitch," she said, sitting on the floor, holding her ribs, and laughing. "Was his singing really as bad as it sounded?"

"Worse," Sam said. "Way worse."

"Oh my god," Millie moaned, laughing all over again. "I want a copy of that video." She started giggling even more when Elless, curious about why she was on the floor, started trying to attack her triple-extra-large crop t-shirt that she was wearing over her contrasting bra tank top.

Steve came back into the living room with coffee for Sam and looked at his girlfriend, who was on the floor, having hysterics.

"She okay?" he asked.

"She'll be fine, but I think she's a bit cracked," Sam said easily.

"What did you do?"

"She tried to growl at me; I hissed right back at her."

"That would do it."


	83. Chapter 83

**Chapter 83**

When Steve and Danny got back from testifying in court, they found Millie at the computer table with Ashley, a Hawaiian man wearing a visitor's badge, and an HPD officer of Asian ancestry. Millie had her arms folded across her chest and she was chewing on her knuckle as she studied a satellite image of an area just outside the city.

"Our main concern is finding a few pilots to help possibly ferry some of these animals to the other islands," the visitor said. "If it's as bad as the reports we're getting, we're going to need as much help as we can get."

Millie nodded. "This is going to hit the news, I'll tell you that much," she said. "And once word gets out, if we put the call out for pilots, I'm sure we'll get the help we need. How long, do you figure?"

"A day, maybe two," Ashley said. "We don't really know at this point. Does Blackbird have a trailer hitch?"

"She does and I know what you're thinking and yes, she can," Millie said. "I'll check my supplies in a bit and load up where I have to."

"Word is we may have a fight on our hands," the HPD officer said. "When I ran him, he came back with numerous citations, including resisting arrest."

"I'll bring my badge and cuffs if need be," Millie said. "And my gun, just in case."

"I was hoping you'd say that," Ashley said.

"So the staging area is HSPCA parking lot at four in the morning?" Millie asked.

Everyone nodded. "The sooner we hit this guy, the better our chances," the visitor said.

Millie nodded. "In that case, I'll see you guys in the morning, and I'll let my team know I'm going to be tied up for a bit."

As the animal team left, Steve and Danny approached Millie. She had been quiet as of late and Steve was concerned.

"What's going on, Nani?" he asked.

"HSPCA and USPCA is going after an animal hoarder tomorrow morning," Millie said. "And we have a warrant for the premises. From what I understand, it's an all hands call."

"What's this about maybe needing pilots?" Danny asked.

"Depending on what we find, we may have to send some of the animals to the other islands," Millie explained.

Steve nodded. "I do have a pilot's license and Kamekono has a helicopter license, if need be," he said. "Will you be needing help with this?"

Millie sighed heavily. "I don't know. Right now, we don't know how bad it is. HPD is providing some back-up in case things get ugly, but it's primarily HSPCA and USPCA, and since I'm a volunteer with a few resources, like the ability to kick down a door if need be, they need my help." She looked at the two men. "Look, I've been involved in a few cases of animal hoarding and it is not pretty. It is not something you guys need to see; you see enough ugliness in people as it is. You don't need to see this."

Steve nodded reluctantly. "But if there's a problem, or you need help, you'll call us, right?"

Millie smiled. "I promise." They didn't see the fingers crossed behind her back.

The next morning, after giving Steve a kiss and an assurance she would keep in touch, Millie was gone. Steve asked Duke to keep his ear on the radio and was promised he would.

"Hey Steve?" Duke said, catching up to him later that morning.

"Yeah?" Steve asked.

"They arrested a guy who fought. Word is Radar kicked down the guy's door in and he body-slammed her."

Steve's eyes went wide. "Is she all right?" he demanded.

"She seems to be; there was no call for an ambulance, but I heard someone saying there was a news crew out there."

Steve headed for the computer table and started searching.

"_And in what is being described as one of the worst cases of animal hoarding the HSPCA has ever seen on O'ahu, over two hundred animals have been seized on a farm just outside of Honolulu_," the reporter said. "_We are seeing everything from horses to dogs to cats, all in varying states, and none of it good_."

A camera panned over the house and Steve froze the screen when he spotted Millie, wearing disposable coveralls, boot covers, gloves, mask, and carrying a frightened, shivering, filthy puppy from the house. Even with the mask, Steve recognized his girlfriend. She looked okay, just determined.

"What's going on with Millie?" Kono asked, joining him. "Hey Duke."

"Hey yourself," Duke said.

"News report is saying HSPCA and USHS hit a farm that's being called one of the worst cases of animal hoarding they've ever seen," Steve said.

"And Millie's a volunteer and she's right in the middle of it," Chin guessed, joining them. "How many?"

"Over two hundred," Steve said, tapping the play button on the table. "And Millie was apparently body-slammed by the owner when she kicked open his door."

"Oh jeeze," Kono said. "Was she hurt?"

"Didn't hear a call for an ambulance, so I'm guessing so," Duke said.

The news report continued. "_We're also getting word that Five-0 is involved. We've reached out to the governor's office for a comment, but so far no reply_," the reporter said.

"They don't know who she is," Chin guessed.

"I'll be hearing from Denning soon," Steve guessed. Sure enough, his phone rang. "And speak of the devil," he said, answering the call. "Governor. Not officially, sir. It's Millie. She's a volunteer with the HSPCA, sir, has been for a long time. If there's an event going on, chances are she'll be right there. She was at the one at the Ala Mona a few days ago. Yes sir, I am very aware of this and I fully support what she's doing. Thanks to her, we've all learned how to bottle-feed kittens and puppies. It's just who she is, sir. No, I wouldn't bet on her answering her phone for a while, not from what I'm seeing of the news report. I wouldn't recommend it, sir, not from what Millie's told me. Places like that, there's usually a high level of diseases, and some of them can be dangerous to humans, so unless you don't mind wearing a white suit and the works, it's best to wait until they've cleared the area. Understood, sir. Yes, sir, I will." He ended the call.

"He wants to go to the site," Chin said.

"Yup. I'm expecting a call from the news station soon," Steve said. "A lot of people outside of HPD don't really realize Millie is one of ours."

"We've noticed," Kono said. "We've also noticed you've been getting hit on by a number of ladies, even with Millie around. I know she's trying not to take it personally, but I think it's doing a number on her self-esteem."

"And that business with Peter, finding out how much he hates her? Not good," Chin said.

"I overheard a few unflattering remarks made in her direction by a couple of the ladies flirting with you the last time she was at a scene with us," Kono admitted. "Comments about her appearance and her weight, which is stupid. She admitted she hasn't cut her hair in a while because she's trying to let it grow out, bring it to shoulder-length at least."

"Well, that explains why she's been so quiet lately," Steve admitted. "We don't exactly broadcast our relationship when we're working, because the understanding is that when we're on the job, we're on the job."

"And we know that, but those other ladies, they don't realize that you and Millie are an item, and she gets trashed," Chin said.

"She said she's not going to change her appearance just for a bunch of broads with big mouths, but I caught her looking in the bathroom mirror once, and she didn't look to happy with her appearance," Kono admitted.

"Anything I can do?" Steve asked.

"It wouldn't hurt for her to have an interview done," Chin said. "After this, once word gets around who she is, the press is going to be asking questions."

"And if you give us the go-ahead, we'll verbally shoot a few of the ladies the next time they get nasty," Kono said. "But you're also going to have to tell those same ladies to back off, and be a little more touchy-feely with Millie when you're at a scene. Even just an elbow touch or a forehead kiss or whatever, but that little thing that couples do that clearly says there's something going on."

Steve nodded. He did love Millie; maybe it was time the rest of the world knew it.

Millie came home long enough to have a shower, throw her clothes in a garbage bag to be burned as soon as possible, grab some dinner Steve had kindly made for her, and she was gone again.

"It's a hell of a mess," she told him as she ate. "Denning showed up, claimed one of the dogs, did the whole news bite thing, yada yada yada. Yippie for him and all that. We're going to have to call a priest because we've got a lot of dead animals that need a proper funeral thing, and they're going to have to be cremated."

"Well, the news bite means more attention and more donations and people stepping forward to help," Steve pointed out.

"Trust me, we're getting that. There's a farmer up the road from the place who offered to put up the horses. We had to put down six of them already and there's another two the vets aren't too sure are going to make it."

"Oh boy. How long do you think you'll be there?"

"God, I don't know. More than likely the rest night, and possibly tomorrow morning," she admitted. "I'll try and let you know, but don't be surprised if I don't come home tonight."

"Leave me a map of how to get there, just in case, and if you don't come home tonight, I'll come visit you in the morning, okay?" She nodded. "We've been getting requests for an interview from you. I know you don't want to, but the governor's going to insist, especially with you being seen on camera at the farm and positively identified as Five-0. People want to know who you are."

Millie groaned softly. "Do I have a choice?"

Steve smiled at her. "I'm afraid not. However, I can pick who does the interview, and it can be at a studio so there's little chance of someone twisting your words." She nodded. He continued, taking her hands in his. "Now, I want you to listen to me. I know about the ladies and their mouths. I also know you're smarting over Peter. You are one of the most beautiful women I have had the blessing to know and love. I am not in the slightest bit interested in those other women and trust me when I say I am going to be showing it more often, even on the job. You are the woman I need and want, and I don't want you to change just because of a bunch of loud-mouthed cows who don't know real beauty when they see it."

"But what about our rule; about keeping our work and personal relationship separate?" she asked, liking how his hands felt on hers at that moment.

"I'm not going to break the rule; I'm just going to bend it a bit," he said, a teasing smile on his face. "If I have to, I'll kiss you in public just to get the point across."

Millie blushed at the thought. "That won't be necessary."

"Maybe not, but it'll sure be fun trying."

Millie laughed. "There is that."

"I love you," he said.

"I love you too."

He found her the next morning, sound asleep in the font passenger side of Blackbird. Someone has put a blanket over her and she looked peaceful but tired.

Steve and Danny had driven out to the farm and spotted Blackbird with no problem; their nose led them to the site. While Danny talked to the various staff and volunteers, Steve checked on Millie.

She stirred when he touched her face. Then she blinked a few times, smiled sleepily at him, and stretched.

"Hey Koa," she said.

"Hey Nani. That bad, huh?"

She glanced at her watch; it was nearly eight in the morning. "Damnit," she muttered. "I didn't want to sleep that long."

"When was the last time you looked at your watch?"

"Just after six, I think." She stretched again and accepted his morning kiss.

"That bad, huh?"

"An absolute freaking nightmare. We're talking about burning the damn place down because of the absolute filth and contamination in the main house alone. You do not go in there without a mask or boot covers or gloves."

"Understood."

Danny joined them, his face looking pale. "I have never seen something as horrible as this and I hope I never do again," he said.

Millie smiled tiredly. "This is actually one of the worst I've ever seen. I've seen upwards of forty-five cats in one apartment in 2010 once; the owners had abandoned them after being evicted. There was another case a year before that, where there was about four hundred animals. Took us about five days to take care of that, but the good thing was, only three of them had to be euthanized. We're not quite so lucky here."

"This son of a bitch is sick," Danny said.

"Very much so, yes. Animal hoarding is a mental disease and the one I hate the most, because there are victims that can't speak up. That becomes our job. And the worst part is, the hoarder doesn't realize or understand that what he or she is doing is wrong. They genuinely love these animals but they can't take care of them properly. For a lot of them, it's like a drug," Millie explained.

"And your heart is breaking," Steve said.

"Itty bitty little pieces," she said, nodding. "And beyond what I'm already doing, I can't do a damn thing about it."

Ashley approached them, looking just as worn out and tired as Millie felt. "Hey guys," she said.

"Hey," Danny said. "You'll have to excuse me if I don't come any closer."

Ashley chuckled. "Don't worry; I don't blame you. As soon as I get home, I'm burning my clothes. Millie, you've done all you can here. We're just about done here anyway. Go home. I'll keep in touch."

Millie nodded as Steve slid into the driver's seat. "Say hi to Sam for me."

Ashley smiled. "Oh I will, after I say a few other things."

"I don't want to know."

"Take her to breakfast and tuck her into bed," Danny told Steve. "I'll let the others know."

Steve took Millie to a favorite beach breakfast place and watched as she worked her way through a stack of pineapple pancakes (a specialty at that location), sausages, and hash browns, with a generous helping of real whipped cream. He sat close enough to her that their knees were touching and made sure he was seen with his hand on her hips, not that she seemed to object. If anything, he suspected she was too tired to care.

Then there was the waitress who served them.

The waitress, a woman in her early twenties, was wearing a name tag that said _Jessica_, had an overly generous bust, which she was displaying by having her uniform top buttoned down enough that when she leaned forward to pour Steve his coffee, both Millie and Steve could see her cleavage, which was nearly falling out of her push-up bra.

"Your friend really could use a bath, and maybe a haircut," she said sweetly to Steve.

"Shower, yes, haircut, not a hope," Millie growled, spearing a piece of sausage.

The waitress pointedly ignored her. "I finish my shift in about three hours," Jessica purred to Steve. "If you give me your number, maybe we could have breakfast together, when your friend goes home, where she belongs, with the rest of her dirty laundry."

That did it. Millie knew she looked tired and grubby, and was still wearing her bright yellow HSPCA volunteer shirt and dirty jeans, and she probably didn't smell too sweet, but this was ridiculous.

Combined with the emotional stress of Peter and the last twenty-four hours, Millie blew.

"Look, you miserable cow; in case you haven't noticed, I am sitting right here, and I can see your fat-ass tits just as well as he can. In case you haven't clued in, he is mine and I am his," Millie snarled, standing up, slamming her cutlery on the table and causing the woman to back away nervously. "I have been moving since four a.m. yesterday morning, cleaning up one of the worst cases of animal abuse I have ever had the misfortune to see. Yes, I know, I don't exactly look very pretty by your standards, but you know what? I really don't give a rat's freaking ass! You don't like how I look? Too freaking bad! I'm not concerned about your standards, I'm concerned about his!" Millie snapped, jerking a thumb at Steve, who smiled. "And since I not only happen to live with him, but share his bloody bed every damn night, I figure his standards are pretty good! If you don't like how I look, go beep yourself! Get back to me after you've done over twenty-four hours of walking in some of the worst filth you can imagine and dealing with animals that were inches away from death! Then talk to me about my appearance, bitch!" And with that, Millie kicked off her shoes and socks and headed for the ocean for a dip and a chance to cool off.

"You really need to get your bitch under control," Jessica snapped.

"No, I don't," Steve said. "You need to do your job and leave. Now. Before I make a complaint with your boss about your behaviour. I'm not in the slightest bit interested in you. I am, however, interested in the woman who was sitting across from me, having her well-earned breakfast."

"She has no class," Jessica protested.

"Compared to you, she has more class than you ever will, and more heart than you'll ever know." Jessica blanched and Steve smiled. "Bye," he said, waggling his fingers at her.

Sulking, Jessica left.

A few minutes later, he saw her storming out of the back area of the restaurant, throwing her apron at someone, and screaming about bastards and bitches.

A tired-looking woman with black hair pulled back in a bun and wearing the restaurant uniform came over to him. Her name tag said she was the day-shift manager.

"I apologize for Jessica," the woman, Andrea, said. "Your meal is on the house."

Millie joined them, wringing out her shirt. She was soaking wet but she didn't seem to particularly care.

"Feel better, sweetheart?" Steve asked her.

"A bit. At least I don't stink anymore," she said, digging back into her breakfast.

"Were you part of that group that was at that farm?" Andrea asked, seeing Millie's shirt. Millie nodded. "That was all over the news last night. Was it as bad as it looked?"

"Worse," Millie said, her tone of voice saying clearly she really didn't want to talk about it.

"Is there anything we can do?" Andrea asked.

"Check the HSPCA website," Millie said. "I'm sure they've posted something about it. I don't know the total count right now, I just know it's bad and we're going to need a lot of foster homes."

Andrea nodded. "You have my respect and my admiration," she said. "I'll check out the website as soon as I can. Your breakfast is on the house."

"Thanks," Steve said.


	84. Chapter 84

**Chapter 84**

"_Ashley said it was bad_," Sam said.

Millie nodded, taking a mouthful of her coffee. "We had a couple of college students working on their vet whatchamacallits, and two of them were crying. I'll give them credit though; they pushed on."

"_What's a Hawaiian funeral like?_"

"I don't really know, but I think it may involve the ocean," Millie said. "Ash mentioned it?"

"_Yeah; for the animals that had to be cremated. She and a bunch of others want to make sure they get a proper funeral and she said something about putting them back in the ocean, where life sprang from, according to tradition_."

"I'll check with Steve; he might know."

"_Okay, thanks_."

"No probs."

"_Oh, and one other thing_."

"Okay."

"_Ashley says you dove head-first into some of the worst they'd ever seen and you didn't even hesitate, even when you had to take care of those wild dogs. What you did took a lot of guts and I'm proud of you._"

Millie smiled. "Thanks. Keep your ears open; the governor is pushing me to do an interview and Steve promised to make sure it was someone who could be trusted to be fair."

Sam chuckled. "_I'll let Ashley know_."

"Is she okay?"

"_Spent about ten minutes crying, had a bonfire with her clothes, had a shower and scrubbed herself within an inch of her life, slept like a rock for several hours, but she's okay now. I swear to God, first chance I get, I'm marrying this woman_."

"Don't think you'll have a problem with that," Millie said. "She let slip a few things. By the way, she's going to be needing a new place to live soon; her apartment's been sold to condo developers."

"_Now that is good to know_," Sam said. "_Thanks for the tip._"

"Always, brother. Take care."

"_Aloha._"

Millie smiled as she put down her cellphone, only to have to pick up her ringing landline phone.

"Phelps," she said. It was another reporte asking for either a comment or an interview. "No comment. The case is under investigation. Please defer to the HSPCA website for further information." And she hung up. That was the third call today and she was starting to get annoyed.

She was back at her desk at Headquarters, trying to catch up on her paperwork. The farm incident had exploded across the news, with reporters constantly calling the team for interviews and quotes. All of them were using the same line Millie had just given the previous reporter.

What Millie didn't know was Steve was talking to Hawaii News Now, a local news station with a good reputation. They were very interested in talking to Millie and promised to be fair with her. After all, they had covered stories involving Five-0 before and knew the hard work the team had done over the years.

"_We'll sit her down with someone and we'll find out who she is, a bit about her background, stuff like that. Is there anything she doesn't want to talk about?_" Paula Choi asked.

"The ongoing investigation of the animal hoarding farm," Steve said. "Yes, she was involved in it, but in a volunteer capacity, and right now it's just not something she wants to talk about. If you want to ask about her work with the HSPCA, by all means, but the farm is a bit of a sore subject right now."

"_Fair enough_," Paula said. "_What about some background on her?_"

"Her biological father was Officer Keegan Phelps, from Portland, Oregon," Steve said. "He was killed in the line of duty before knowing who Millie was. When she was fifteen, through various circumstances, Millie was found and eventually adopted by Officer Phelps's brother, Detective Mike Phelps, who didn't know his brother had had a daughter. It wasn't until a few months ago that a blood test confirmed the relationship," Steve said. "The Phelps come from a long line of cops. Millie is not a cop herself, but she is carrying on the tradition in a way."

"_Wow,_" said Paula. "_Is she a local?_"

"No, she's from Portland."

"_Why did she come here?_"

"Her grandmother. She had her honeymoon here, and before she passed away, she asked Millie to come here. Millie did so, and decided to stay. That was almost eight years ago."

"_How would you describe her?_"

"A very kind, very generous woman, who works just as hard as the rest of us, and is a valuble member of our team. She may be small in stature, but don't let that fool you."

"_Okay, wonderful. If you could send me some photos we can use, that would be a big help. As soon as possible, if she can come down, we'll sit her down with one of our reporters and we'll talk_," Paula said. She gave him her e-mail address.

"Thank you," Steve said. "Be warned though, she's not the kind of person comfortable around cameras."

"_In that case, I know just the person to sit her with_," Paula said.

Steve entered Millie's office after rapping on her door. She smiled when she saw him.

"Hey," she said.

"Hey yourself. I just spoke to someone at Hawaii News Now and they've agreed to talk to you and be fair about it," he said.

Millie sighed heavily. "Okay, fine. I hate doing stuff like this. Last time I had to, it was during the aftermath of Hugh's death. I had reporters camped outside my door for days, all wanting a quote from the poor officer's girlfriend. Urgh."

"Well, it won't be quite so bad this time, and they are good. We've never had any problems with them," he assured her. "They need some pictures they can use so anything you don't mind the public seeing, send it to this address," he said, giving her Paula's e-mail address. "Show off that miserable furball of yours."

Millie smiled. "I can do that. When should I go down?"

"In say about an hour. Give them time to do their research," Steve said. He didn't tell her he'd be letting the others know and asking them to do the same, including Grace, Eric, Sam, and Ashley.

_Later that evening:_

"_And, in a surprising turn of events, we were granted an exclusive interview with Officer Millie Phelps, of the Five-0 Taskforce_," Dave Tanaka said. "_She was recently spotted being involved in one of the worst cases of animal hoarding O'ahu has ever seen, and today, the newest member of Five-0 agreed to sit down and talk to us. Guy Dasog has the story_."

Several photos of Millie flashed across the screen, some of them of her laughing, cuddling with Lunkhead, wearing her yellow HSPCA volunteer shirt, or with her head down and working on something on her iPad. One showed her doing the Shake dance with Grace at Grace's Halloween dance party. There was even one of her wearing her bunny costume and Sugar Skull costume.

"_Thanks Dave. When I first met Officer Millie Phelps, I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but I'm glad I did. Kind, generous, hard-working, feisty, those are just a few of the words used to describe her by her friends, family, and even her co-workers,_" Guy said, standing next to the news anchor desk. "_A regular volunteer for the HSPCA for a number of years, Officer Phelps is also the Administrative Assistant to the Five-0 Taskforce and has been so for almost seven months, being offered the job directly by Governor Denning himself. Before that, she was an Administrative Assistant for the Honolulu Police Department and the Portland Police Department, in Portland, Oregon_."

"_I never intended to do what I'm doing now. It just sort of happened," _Millie said, the screen changing to the sitting room she and Guy had sat in during the interview_. "I didn't recognize Governor Denning and I made some smart remark about him being under my feet and would he please go away, unless he happened to have coffee to bribe me with. Next thing I know, I'm getting a phone call and I'm being offered a job with Five-0_."

"_Wow_," Guy said. "_So you're with Five-0 now. How do you feel about them?_"

"_They're 'ohana. We tease each other, I've been pranked a few times, wanted to pull my hair out on more than one occasion, but I know they care and I care about them," _she said_. "They're good people and they do good work_."

"_Officer Phelps is the adoptive daughter of Detective Mike Phelps of the Portland Police Department, and in a shocking turn of events, it was discovered Officer Phelps was, in fact, the biological daughter of Detective Phelps' brother, Officer Keegan Phelps, who was killed in the line of duty in 1989. Posthumously awarded both the Police Star and the Medal of Valour, he was killed while attempting to stop a robbery at a convenience store_," Guy said in a voice-over. As he did, Mike and Keegan's service photos flashed across the screen.

"_Now, according to what I was told, your biological father was Officer Keegan Phelps of the Portland Police Department, but your adoptive father is Detective Mike Phelps, Officer Keegan Phelps' brother. How did that happen?_" Guy said.

"_From what I understand, Keegan had an affair with my biological mother. He dumped her when he found out she was still married. Out of spite, she never told him she was pregnant with me, even after I was born_," Millie said, choosing her words carefully. "_He was killed in the line of duty when I was about two, but according to his last journal entry, he had seen me with my grandmother, my biological mother's mother, and he had begun to suspect something. He died before he got a chance to confront my biological mother about it. His family never read his journal, because it would be like reading the last words he ever wrote, something that was just too painful for them, so they never knew._"

"_Oh jeeze_," Guy said.

"_Flash forward a few years. I was fifteen and I had been arrested for beating up on a high school bully. Detective Phelps, whom I would later call Dad, saw me and he said he saw his brother's eyes_," Millie continued. "_He arranged to have me stay with his family and I grew close to them, eventually adopting him and his wife, Susan, as my legal parents. Flash forward again to a few months ago. I was going through a bit of a tough time, and Dad had come to stay with me for a bit. Now, he didn't have the resources we do, but he had suspected something, things Keegan had said before he'd died. He was able to have a genetic test run on both of us and the test confirmed I was, in fact, his niece_."

"_Oh my lord. That must've been a shock to the family._"

"_Oh it was, trust me, it was, but it was a welcome shock_," Millie said.

"_What about your biological mother? Surely she had something to say about that?_"

"_We had words_," Millie said grimly, smiling tightly.

Guy nodded, getting the hint.

"_Tragically, in 2008, Officer Phelps would lose her boyfriend, Officer Hugh Webb, to a drunk driver during a routine traffic stop. He would be posthumously awarded the Medal of Valour for saving his training officer, Officer Ron Hoffman, who had also been at the stop_," Guy said. Officer Webb's service photo flashed across the screen, followed by a photo of Millie and her grandmother.

"_That was a particularly trying time for me. The same day I buried Hugh was the same day I was told Gram had died_."

"_Were you two close?_"

Millie smiled sadly. "_We were very close and I know she was proud of me_."

"_Do you have anyone special in your life right now?_"

"_I do. He's a good man and we've been together for a while_," Millie said, smiling, blushing at the same time.

"_Now, when I was shown some pictures of you, I noticed a very large cat you seem to be particularly fond of. Who is that cat?_"

Millie laughed. "_That's Lunkhead. He's my baby and my hero. I took him in during my first lightning storm here and he's been with me ever since_."

"_He looks like a mean fellow,_" Guy said, laughing.

"_Oh, he can be pretty mean, but he usually has a good reason," _Millie said_. "He doesn't like dogs and he doesn't care for people he doesn't know._"

"_Lunkhead is indeed a hero_," Guy said, a photo of Lunkhead wearing his Pet of the Year Medal, flashing across the screen. "_He was recently honored by the Mayor for his bravery in defending Officer Phelps against an unprovoked attack, an attack that left her with numerous injuries, including a broken wrist. Her attacker is currently serving time and will not be eligible for parole for some time." _A short clip of Millie laughing at something Steve was saying, flashed across the screen. Her badge and her weapon could be clearly seen on her hip, along with Steve's, before flashing back to Guy. "_The attack, however, has not stopped her from continuing to do her job with Five-0, a job she does very well, on an island she's adopted as her own. Guy Dasong, Hawaii News Now, Channel Eight_."

Steve glanced at his phone. There were several messages from his friends and he suspected Millie would be having a stack of messages a mile high when she got in tomorrow.

"Nicely done," he said. They were at home and cuddling on the couch.

"Think that'll get the sharks off my case for a while?" she grumbled.

"For a while, but you're going to have a lot of unhappy reporters," he said, smiling.

"So what? Besides, I got suckered into doing an interview for Grace's school newspaper. That's more than enough interviews for my lifetime!"

"How did that happen?"

"How does anything happen with that kid?"

"Good point." He glanced at his cellphone as it went off; it was Dispatch. He scowled but answered. "McGarrett. Understood." He glanced at his girlfriend. "So much for a quiet night. We have a body."

Millie groaned but got up. "Hazard of the job, my love. Let's go see who did what this time."

_At the shipyard:_

Millie stared at the victim, who had been crammed in a metal oil drum, which had spilled open when it had been accidentally dropped. The smell was horrible and she was desperately trying not to embarrass herself by throwing up.

She coughed, and wished for some Vick's Vapour Rub. It was a trick Mindy Shaw had taught her the last time they'd been around a decomposing body.

"It will take me a bit of time to determine who he is," Max said, "due to the decomposition of the body, but I will, as always, endevour to do my best."

"Good to know, Max," Danny said, looking like he was about to throw up himself.

"Okay, umm, the ship captain says he picked up this barrel in Los Angeles," Steve said, joining them. "That was about a week ago. His next stop is the Philippines and he has to be out of here within the next hour to be on time. He's getting the paperwork for Chin and Kono now and his crew is checking the other barrels in the group."

"And we have a problem," Lou said, joining them. "The crew just found another barrel with a body."

"It's going to be a long night," Millie grumbled.

"By the way, Millie, I saw your interview on Hawaii News Now. Very interesting," Max said.

"Thanks Max. Just don't ask me for my autograph," Millie said. "I've already had two smartass cops ask me."

Mindy joined them. "Darn, there goes my chance to ask you to autograph my shirt," she teased. "But I think you have a couple of dock workers hoping to ask you."

Millie glared at Steve. "That is why I didn't want to do the stupid thing in the first place! I hate this kind of attention!"

Grinning, Steve leaned in close and whispered something in her ear that had her blushing.

"That is a different kind of attention, and you know it, bucko," Millie shot back, blushing even more at the knowing grins on her friends faces.

"Would you two just get married?" Danny yelped.

"We need to find someone with a fire extinguisher. I think she's about to catch fire," Lou said.

"Are you guys going to do this to me all night?" Millie moaned. The men looked at each other and then nodded gleefully. "God forbid."


	85. Chapter 85

**Chapter 85**

Danny couldn't believe what he was seeing. Steve had vanished for a few minutes from a crime scene. He had come back and was now cradling a small, scruffy, white kitten against his chest protectively. The kitten wasn't much bigger than his two hands, and the big ape was grinning at the tiny little thing.

"Is Millie rubbing off on you or something? You adding rescuing cats as part our description now? Where on earth did you find that runt?" Danny asked incredulously.

"For starters, he's not a runt; he's just a little on the small side. As for where I found him, about half a block up. Thought I saw something moving so I checked it out and found this cutie. Little guy was nearly hit by a car, and he didn't even jump when that garbage truck dropped the bin," Steve said. "I think he's deaf."

"What makes you think that?" Danny asked.

"He's pure white and he has blue eyes. I remember Millie telling me something about that, that white cats with blue eyes have a higher tendency to be born deaf," Steve explained. "Something about a degeneration of the inner ear." He rubbed the kitten's head, who seemed to be purring quite happily and loudly. "He should get a flea bath, but I think he's okay."

"You know if you don't take him home, Millie will beat you. You know that, right?" Danny asked, watching as the kitten climbed up Steve's shirt, curled around his neck, and started snoozing.

Steve glanced at the kitten. "You don't fight fair, do you, little guy?" he asked the kitten, rubbing it's head.

"You are certifiably insane," Danny said.

"I know. I hang around you, don't I?"

Thanks to Millie, Steve knew how to give his new roommate a flea bath. Kamekono's shop was closer than home, and once he saw the little kitten, he agreed to let Steve use his back sink, once Steve explained a few things. It seemed Dawn dishsoap was a very effective flea killer, and the sprayer on Kamekono's kitchen sink did wonders for the little guy, who didn't seem to mind the warm water at all. Afterwards, there were a few black spots in the sink, but not nearly as many as there could have been, and other than being a bit thin, the kitten seemed to be okay. Then the kitten meowed. And it was loud, like louder than normal.

"That little brah's got one loud meow," Kamekono said, watching as Steve dried the kitten off with some papertowels.

"I think he could be deaf," Steve said. Suddenly, Nahele, who was moving some things around in the kitchen area, dropped some metal trays. Steve and Kamekono jumped, startled, but the kitten didn't. He just meowed again. "Scratch that; I don't think, I know," Steve said, trying to calm his racing heart.

The kitten dove into the shrimp Kamekono kindly offered him, growling as he ate, causing the watching humans to laugh. Steve resolved to take him to Millie's favourit vet as soon as he could, to make sure he got all the neccessary vacinations and shots.

Afterwards, he dropped the kitten off at home, staying long enough to see that Lunkhead or the Twins didn't cause any problems. When he left, the kitten was getting a very unwilling bath from Lunkhead and Elless was trying to play with him.

"I don't think there's going to be any problems," Steve told Danny afterwards. "Lunkhead was giving the little guy a bath when I left."

"Willingly or unwillingly?" Danny asked.

"Very unwillingly, but it was more of a kid getting his face washed than any actual fight," Steve said, grinning.

"That would be funny," Danny said, also grinning.

"The little guy's deaf," Steve said. "Nahele accidently dropped something in Kamekono's back kitchen and we all jumped. The little guy didn't even flinch."

"How much flesh did you loose over his bath?"

"Surprisingly enough, I didn't. See?" Steve held up his unscratched arms. "Plus I used some heavy kitchen gloves. Little guy didn't put up much of a fight anyway."

"What are you going to call him?"

"I don't know. There's Lupa, which is Hawaiian for _ghost_, or whatever Millie decides to call him when she finds him."

"Have you told her yet?" Steve grinned at him. "If she cusses you out because the kitten scared her, I'm gonna be laughing at you for the next week. You're getting soft in the head, I swear. Next thing you know, you'll be roping us into a volunteer thing for the HSPCA, like that Tough Mudder thing you just dragged my ass through. If this keeps up, and you start walking around in a grass skirt and singing Kumbayah, I'm running for the hills." That earned him a glare.

_Later:_  
"Who the heck are you?" Millie asked the kitten, rubbing it's soft head. The kitten yawned and opened it's eyes, showing her beautiful blue eyes. "Oh, you are pretty."

She had just come home and found a pure white kitten sleeping snuggled against Lunkhead, with the Twins curled up around them in one big furry kitty pile. She looked up when Steve joined her, grinning at the sight.

"Where did this cutie come from?" she asked.

"Found him at a crime scene earlier today. He was nearly run over by a car," Steve said. "Gave him a bath with some Dawn soap and found a few fleas, but he seems to be okay. I think he's deaf." He told her what had happened earlier and she nodded.

"It definately looks like he could be deaf," she said. "Fortunately, caring for a deaf cat isn't much of a big deal. He's just going to need a collar and a microchip." The kitten meowed in greeting to Steve when he petted his head. "That's a loud meow."

"He growls when he's eating," he said, grinning.

"Survival. On the streets you either fought for your food or you didn't get any. Have you made an appointment with the vet?"

"He goes in first thing tomorrow morning," Steve said. "Any idea what you're going to call him?"

"Me?" she asked, eyes going wide. "I'd call him Whoda, as in who da heck are you? Problem is, I think he's chosen you as his human, and you know what's said about cats."

"Right; you don't pick them, they pick you."

Steve found that out later that night as he was trying to get some sleep, when Whoda decided to curl up on his pillow, beside him. Millie just giggled.

"Sorry, dear, but you're his human."

"I don't care if I'm his human or not; he gets booted out of the room if we get frisky. I'm not having an audience!"

Millie nearly choked on her bedtime tea, laughing. She had taken to drinking Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime Tea as part of her nighttime ritual and while Steve wasn't much of a tea drinker, he did like the smell.

He woke up the next morning with four cats on the bed, and Whoda wrapped around his head, his tail tickling his nose. _Yup, he'd been claimed_.


	86. Chapter 86

**Chapter 86**

"We have a case," Danny said, tapping on Steve's office door. "Where's Millie?"

"As far as I know, she got a call from a friend saying there was a problem," Steve said, grabbing his gun and putting it in its usual spot before following Danny. "That was about half an hour ago, though," he continued, glancing at his watch. "She's not back yet?"

"Nope."

Steve tried calling Millie and his brow furrowed when his call went straight to voicemail. The last time that had happened, something bad had happened to Millie.

"Any idea where Blackbird is?" Steve asked.

"Nope, but we can find out," Danny said, heading for the computer table. A fee keystrokes brought up the information. "It looks like it's at a warehouse, which, coincidentally, happens to be the same address as our case," Danny said. "I'm hoping that's where she is and hoping like hell she has a reason for not answering her cell."

"Same here."

When they got to the warehouse, Max was working on a female body with her head and most of her upper torso blown off. Blood, bone, and possibly brain matter, was spread out in a gory halo around the body, which was slumped against a nearby wall.

Max stood up when he saw them and stopped them from coming closer.

"Commander, I'm afraid I must ask you not to come any closer," he said.

"What's going on, Max?" Danny asked.

"I am sorry, Commander, but Officer Phelps' identification was found with the body," Max said carefully.

"Are you sure?" Steve demanded, eyes going wide and his heart starting to pound. _No, please God, no,_ he begged silently. _Not Millie. Please, not Millie..._

"The upper part of the body is missing, but upon quick examination, there are tattoos on the body I recall seeing on Officer Phelps, along with strands of brown hair," Max said.

"So you're not a hundred percent sure," Danny said, trying not to panic. _Dear God, no. Not another friend. Not Millie._

"Not without a full examination, no, but the tattoos do point to this being the case," Max said.

Snapping on a pair of gloves, Steve pushed past Max, ignoring Danny's pleas for him to stop and let Max do his job. Despite what his heart and mind were screaming, he had to know for sure. _He had to know._

A closer examination of the victim's right wrist confirmed it.

"This is not Millie," Steve said, trying to calm his racing heart.

"How can you tell?" Danny demanded.

"The tattoo on the wrist; its the right style but it's not the same one," Steve said. "Same with the one on the ankle. Believe me, I know what it looks like." He gently probed the wrist. "No pins." An examination of the hand gave him another clue. "No tan line on her right pinkie."

"Right, right. Her grandmother's ring," Danny said, relief in his voice.

Steve turned the body on its side, exposing the back, and lifting up the shirt, pushing down the pants a bit. "Millie also had a tattoo done on her lower back, a cute little tribal butterfly thing, below her belt line." There was no tattoo on the lower back, fresh or not.

"Why haven't I seen that one?" Danny asked, watching as Steve rolled the body back on its back.

"Because it was done about three inches away from her tailbone, last week on a dare, so the only person who has seen it is me," Steve said. "This is not Millie, but someone wanted us to think she was. These tattoos are fresh. Millie's aren't."

Max examined the victim's wrist, confirming Steve's statement. "You are correct, Commander. There are no pins here." He checked further up. "And no signs of a healed fracture, which I do recall seeing on Officer Phelps' x-rays at the time of her attack. My sincerest apologies."

"Forgiven and forgotten," Steve said, taking his gloves off and running a shaking hand over his face. "Let's just figure out who she is, why someone killed her, and why someone was trying to make us think she was Millie."

"Of course, Commander," Max said.

As Steve and Danny caught up to the rest of the team, they could see the panic and worry on their faces.

"The guys are saying the body had Millie's identification and that it's female," Chin said. "Is it her?"

"No. Similar tattoos, but no pins and no ring on her right hand, ever," Steve said.

"So it's not Millie," Kono said, sighing with relief. Lou and Chin did the same.

"But someone wanted us to think it was Millie, and she's not answering her phone," Danny said.

"And Blackbird is just around the corner," Lou said.

"Anything in it?" Steve asked, heading for the Jeep.

"Didn't get a chance to check yet," Lou said.

An examination turned up more questions than answers.

"Okay, Millie has a habit of taking just her wallet when she steps out for a short bit," Steve said. "It's not here."

"What's it look like, anyway?" Danny asked.

"It's got Elsa, from that _Frozen_ Disney movie on it. Millie got it from Spencers, some kind of a store she likes," Steve said absently.

"No sign of her gun or badge," Danny said. "And no sign of a struggle or anyone else in here."

"Same in the back," said Kono.

"It looks like she drove Blackbird here willingly, got out willingly, and went into the warehouse willingly," Chin said, studying the ground for tracks. "Was she wearing her steel-toes today?" he asked Steve.

"No, her black and silver Sketchers. Her ankle and knee are giving her trouble today, and the steel-toes can be a bit heavy on her ankle," Steve said.

"Looks like she got into another vehicle," Chin said. "And she wasn't alone. I'm seeing four sets go into the warehouse but only three coming out. Shoe size and style suggests two of them are men."

"So she may have come here willingly but I doubt she left willingly," Danny said.

"You're right. And she got into another vehicle," Chin said. "Driver's side."

"And no cameras around to see what or who with," Lou grumbled.

They regrouped.

"Okay, what do we know?" Steve asked.

"Someone killed a woman with similar tattoos to Millie. The woman had Millie's identification badge on her but nothing else," Danny said.

"Tracks say she came and entered the warehouse alone and willingly but didn't leave alone, willingly, and not in Blackbird," Chin said.

"I put out a BOLO for Millie, but added an approach with caution, until we know more," Lou said.

"Good," Steve said.

"I spoke to CSU. There's some voids in the blood spray, suggesting Millie was at least twelve to fifteen feet away from the victim when she was killed," Kono said.

"Oh my god," Steve groaned softly.

"That's going to give her nightmares for the next year," Danny said, eyes wide.

"CSU sleep found a bloody hand print on one of the columns that looks like it was done deliberately," Kono said. She grinned. "There's a slight ring mark on the right pinky finger. If I had to bet, I'd say that was Millie."

"She's fighting," Steve said, grinning. "We may not know what's going on yet, but she's fighting. She took a call just before she left. We need to find out what that call was, and if we can figure out who called her, we have a lead."

"Just out of curiosity, how did you know about the little tattoo on her back, anyway?" Danny asked, curious.

Steve smirked. "Who do you think dared her to do it?"

_Aloha Tower, underground parking:_

Millie pulled the rear view mirror towards her, trying to get the blood off her face and neck. Even after nearly twenty minutes, her hands were still shaking and her own scream was still ringing in her ears. Watching someone getting their face and shoulders blown off was going to be sticking with her for quite some time.

Jill had been a new friend, or so she thought, so when Jill had called her saying she was in trouble from an ex-boyfriend, Millie had gone to see what she could do to help. Jill had claimed to be hiding at an old warehouse and while Millie had raised an eyebrow at the location, she'd gone, trying to trust her friend.

Her friend hadn't really been a friend after all; she was a prostitute who was being well paid to befriend her. Not only that, but Jill had been paid to have sex with a well-known gang leader on video, a video that made it look like it was actually Millie having sex with the guy. Jill had even had similar tattoos done on her wrist and ankle to make the video more believable. Jin Soon, her captor, was threatening to release the video to several news media outlets, which would do significant damage to her reputation, and possibly the rest of Five-0. There was also another bomb at HSPCA that was set to go off if Millie didn't do what she was told. If she did, he would tell her where to find the bomb. If not, a lot of people were going to get hurt because of her. Between the bomb threat and the video, Millie had no choice.

And the bomb necklace put there by Jin Soon to make Millie give up her gun and turn off her phone? She had claimed it was fake.

Nope.

Seated next to her was Hiro Miko, Jin Soon's much younger boss. He handed her another wet wipe and smiled at her sympathetically.

"I hope that wasn't one of your favourite shirts," he said. The younger man was dressed in a nice suit, no tie, and had a rakish air about him.

"Fortunately, no," she said. "Does blood come out of cotton?" she asked, looking at her black sleeves Hawaiian print blouse and straight-leg tan slacks.

"Your shirt, maybe, but your pants might be another problem," Hiro said. "That Gold Resolve stuff is pretty good."

"Use it much?" He smiled at her. "Right. Hazard of the job. Figures."

"Hey, when your grandfather is one of the top _wakagashira, _you kinda don't have a choice in the matter of careers," he said.

"Humour me; what the heck is a _waka-_whatever?"

"He's like a really big boss and he's in charge of several regional gangs. He answers to the oyabun, who is _the _head boss," Hiro explained.

They were in an underground parking garage where Jin Soon had gone to meet his contract about some drugs HPD had taken two days ago. If it was a cop, Millie was going to shoot him the first chance she got.

"Which would give Jinny Boy good reason to dislike you. Am I correct in thinking you're considerably younger than he is but higher up than he is?"

"You would be correct, and _that _is the real reason I picked you," Hiro said. "My sources say you're fast on the draw. I don't trust Jin and I think he's planning something, something that could get me killed."

"Well, what am I supposed to do? I'm just a damn secretary," she shot back. "You guys have my gun and my phone is turned off, and I have no doubt my team is wondering where the hell I am, because I _never _turn off my phone."

"Better off than destroyed. It looked new."

"It is; I had to replace it a week ago, after some jackass smashed my other one."

"Oh ouch. Okay, listen and listen good. This is what is going to happen." He held up a wrapped package that looked like white powder in the clear package. "This is icing sugar. You're going to replace it with the drugs that HPD took."

"And the drugs themselves?" Millie asked.

"Part of some deal Jin Soon is doing for some guns, but it's that deal that's got me nervous."

Millie looked at him. "If this gets ugly, I want a gun," she said.

"My backup is on my back and my ankle," he said.

"And you'll make that video disappear?"

"What video?" he asked, smiling brightly.

"Thank you." _And first chance I get, I'm going to figure out how to let my team know_, she thought.

"Watch your back with Jin Soon, though," Hiro warned her. "He's got a temper and people have been known to be unneccessarily hurt because of him. If you have to, don't hesitate to kill him."

"I'm a secretary, not a cop," she shot back.

"So tell me why you killed the leader of the Tiger Manō again."

"Because he was about to kill a woman in cold blood? A woman he'd ordered gang-raped?"

"And you won't kill to defend yourself?"

Millie glared at him but conceeded his point. "I'll keep that in mind."


	87. Chapter 87

**Chapter 87**

Steve's phone rang as they drove towards Jill Richie's address, the one belonging to the last number that had called Millie's cell phone. It was Duke.

"Go ahead, Duke," Steve said, putting the call on speaker.

"_That BOLO you guys got on Radar? Something interesting just popped up_," Duke said.

"Okay."

"_I just found her signature in the sign-in log at HPD Main_," Duke continued. "_Cameras say she was just here about ten, fifteen minutes ago, and the desk officer said she had blood spatter on her pants, but when he asked her about it, she said it was just dirt_."

Danny looked at Steve with wide eyes, the same wide eyes that were looking at him. "What did she do, Duke?" Danny asked.

"_I'm not sure at this point. Thing is though, when she signed the log book, she put down T-zero-Y-zero-T-zero in the vehicle license plate section, and specifically mentioned going to see a movie called _Swordfish _with Kono_," Duke said.

Danny pulled out his phone and called Kono, explaining the situation. "You know anything about seeing a movie called _Swordfish _with Millie?" he asked.

Kono went silent then cursed. "_That's a code she and I developed while playing What-If one time. If either of us ever said _Swordfish_, it was code for officer in a hostage situation, being forced to do something against her will or being threatened in such a way that someone will get hurt if they don't do what they're told_."

"What about T-zero-Y-zero-T-zero?" Danny asked.

"_Toyoto, short for _Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a famous samurai in early Japan," Kono said. "_That's code for yakuza. She's being held by the yakuza_."

"Get down to HPD Main, find out what else she did," Steve said. "Duke?"

"_I hear ya. I'll start checking,_" the sergeant promised.

When Kono burst into HPD Main, Duke was waiting for her at the desk. He gestured for her to come around and pointed at the screen. "Take a look at this," he said, pressing the Play button.

As they watched the screen, Millie looked square up at the camera and tapped her chest before bringing her hand up and tapping her eyes, waving the finger back and forth, then tapping her ear. Across her chest was a leather messenger bag Kono was sure Millie didn't own.

"I think she was trying to say she had a camera on her and someone was not only watching her, but also listening," Duke said.

"I think so too," Kono said. "Some kind of body camera under her shirt, but she also knows those things have a limited view, and knew the camera was there and knew we'd check. Where did she go from here?"

"I asked around and a couple of guys remember seeing her head for the storage room, where we keep the overflow from drug seizures," Duke said.

They headed towards the storage room and once again, they found Millie's signature in the log book, but there was no way to tell what had been taken, if anything had been taken.

"Okay, Millie's resourceful. When we played this game, one of the scenarios we covered was what if we had to take or switch evidence from you guys? How would we let the rest of us know what had been taken?" Kono said.

"What did you come up with?" Duke asked.

"Dust voids at elbow or knee height," Kono said. "Look for something that's been moved; dust voids will show it."

It was Duke who found the first dust void, on an evidence box that had been moved just slightly.

"Okay, it's in this aisle," Kono said, "and this side." Just slightly half-way down, they found a bundle of drug packages that looked like they had been moved around. A white powder could be seen on the floor. "Let's get this tested. Same with these packages. She may have been forced to switch them."

A NIK test gave them some answers but also more questions. "Okay, one of the bundles is cocaine, and one isn't," Duke said, watching the results. "And neither is the stuff on the floor."

Cautious, Kono put some on a gloved finger and took a careful taste. "Icing sugar," she said, recognizing the sweet taste. "Stuff looks like cocaine at first glance. Easy substitute."

"And out of the four bundles we tested, she only switched one. Why?" Duke asked.

"Maybe that was all she could safely carry without suspicion," Kono said. "Okay, so she switches the drugs. But the cameras don't show her leaving through the front, so she must have left through the loading bay area."

They headed for the loading bays and Kono quickly spotted a wad of tissues near the door; bloody tissues. Sure, it could get a bit messy in the loading dock area, but no one tossed aside bloody tissues like that. There was too much of a risk of blood-borne pathogens. And, to make things more interesting, there was blood on the ground.

"If I had to guess, I'd say Millie' bloodied someone's nose," Duke said, studying the drops.

Kono smiled. "Go girl," she said, holding up the tissue. "Let's get this to the lab."

Steve's phone rang; it was Kono.

"_It looks like she switched a package of cocaine with icing sugar and left through the loading docks_," Kono said. "_We also found a bloody tissue and blood drops. Duke thinks she may have broken someone's nose, possibly deliberately_."

"Evidence," Steve said. "Millie knows blood evidence is some of the best possible evidence available."

"_That's right,_" Kono said. "_We also know why she didn't cut and run while she could; she was hooked up by a body camera and comset that looks like a wireless Bluetooth. I'll show you the video when you get back_."

"Good. See you in a bit," Steve said, ending the call. He repeated to Danny what Kono had told them.

"Okay, so she's forced to switch drugs with some fake stuff and she possibly breaks someone's nose," Danny said. "So she's fighting in a drag-your-heels, leave bread crumbs kind of fight, but she's fighting. What does this Jill Richie have to do with this?"

They were at the address for Jill Richie, but they were finding plenty of evidence that said Jill Richie was not Jill Richie.

"Jill Roland," Steve said, picking up one of the bills on the counter. One of the envelopes was a bank statement. He forwarded the information and the account number to Chin, who was tearing Jill's life apart like paper.

"Nice big flat-screen t.v.," Danny said. "Looks brand-new. Same with the entertainment system and the piles and piles of clothes I just found in her bedroom, which, by the way, smells of way too much perfume."

"Check this out," Steve said, holding up a bunch of photos on the table. They were all of Millie, specifically her tattoos. "Why would Jill have photos of Millie's tattoos?"

"And we have the name of a tattoo parlour as well," said Danny, holding up a business card.

"Looks like Jill cut her hair like Millie's," Steve said, holding up an older photo of the woman, who was wearing little more than a lace bra and thong panties. She clearly had much longer hair when the picture was taken.

Steve's phone rang; it was Chin.

"_Jill Roland was a prostitute_," Chin said. "_And her bank statements show she was being paid to the tune of fifty grand, all in installments, starting just after that interview with Millie aired._"

"We found photos of Millie's tattoos and a business card for a tattoo parlor," Steve said, putting the call on speaker. "And I've got photos of Jill that say she had long hair. I'm betting she had it cut to look like Millie's, but the question is why."

"Maybe to look like her," Danny said.

"Again, why. Have CSU comb this place, see what they can find," Steve told Chin. "We're on our way back."

At Headquarters, everyone regrouped. Kono had a small red notebook on the table, with Millie's handwriting in it.

"Okay, first off, this is the code Millie and I developed one night, when we were having a girl bull session," Kono said. "Swordfish means the person is being held captive and forced to do something for the bad guys, possibly with a threat hanging over their heads."

"And the license plate?" Chin asked.

"Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a famous samurai, which equals Japan, which equals Yakuza," Kono said. "She's being held by someone in the yakuza." She pulled up the video from HPD Main and let them see what she'd seen earlier with Duke. "She was wired. We found blood and a bloody tissue out on the loading dock area and the working theory is she broke someone's nose. Duke's checking around to see if anyone showed up recently with a bloody nose and a lousy explanation for it, and the lab is running the blood now."

"What did she take?" Lou asked.

"One package of cocaine, which she switched with icing sugar," Kono said. "Street value of about five grand."

"Millie won't touch the stuff herself, not willingly" Steve said. "She let it slip she saw someone overdose on the stuff once and it was enough to scare her for life. And right now, she's got way too much to lose by distributing the filth, as she calls it, herself. What's the deal with Jill Roland?"

"She's a prostitute that's been popped a few times," Chin said, bringing up a booking photo of a woman with long brown hair and a surly expression, and her bank records. "Her bank records show she's been getting paid in installments starting just after Millie's interview aired. I checked Millie's call log; she started chatting with Jill about a week and a half ago. Her texts said they met up for coffee earlier last week."

"Yeah, Millie mentioned having made a friend outside of work and HSPCA," Steve said. "Very flamboyant type, but seemed nice enough."

Steve's phone rang; it was Duke.

"_Found somebody who's got a lot of explaining to do,_" Duke said.

"Okay," Steve said.

"_Officer Michael James,_" Duke said. "_He was seen with a bloody nose right around the time Millie was at HPD Main, and said he accidently walked into a door. Now nobody can find him_."

"Yeah, a door named Millie," Kono quipped, grinning.

Chin pulled up the man's file. "And not an easy man to hit," Chin said. "He stands just over six feet tall. And, wow, IA is investigating him for suspected yakuza ties."

"Duke-" Steve began.

"_I know what to do; BOLO out on him, but approach with caution_," Duke said. "_If I find him, I'll break his nose again, just for the pleasure of it._"

"Ask the guys if they know a prostitute by the name of Jill Roland," Steve said. "It's looking more and more like she was paid to look like Millie. Her records say she was a small-timer, but someone may have heard or seen something."

"_Was she the one at the warehouse?_" Duke asked.

"Looks like it," Steve said. "Her bank records say she was getting well paid for this, plus she made a large cash deposit about two days ago."

"_I'll ask around_," Duke promised, ending the call.

Then something pinged on the computer table. Chin pulled it up while explaining.

"I flagged Millie's bank account and all her credit cards," he said. "Looks like she just used an old one at a Jack In the Box about fifteen minutes from here."

Kono nodded. "She deliberately kept an old credit card in her old surname. She knows it's SOP for us to check bank statements and credit cards and if we're watching and the old one pops up, she's still with someone."

"Let's go," Steve told Kono. "Chin, call them, get their video."

"On it," Chin said.

As they drove to the fast food resturant, Steve asked Kono a question.

"That's quite the code system you guys set up," he said. "What else is there?"

"If she mentions the movie, _The Fog_, it means she's nervous about the situation and the outcome. If we see the numbers 999, it means officer in distress," Kono said. "Most of it's made of movie names she and I've both seen, as well as some common police codes we both learned from the Academy or our jobs. They're all easy things to remember but mean nothing else to someone else. For example, if she uses the name Zi-Yuan, that means officer faces insurmountable odds with no real plan except to get out alive."

"Who's that?"

"Zi-Yuan was a character from the third Sommers _Mummy_ movie, _The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor_," Kono explained. "She and the other good guys faced off against an entire army of terracotta soldiers. You have to see the movie to get the gist of it."

"And unless someone is a movie fanatic, Zi-Yuan is just going to be some weird name," Steve said, catching on.

"Exactly. And we know drive-thru's have cameras, and Millie knows that, and she knows that we know, which means she knows we're going to be looking at them. That was part of the What-If's; if at all possible, be visible in public cameras. Drive-thru's, ATMs, transit, airports, and so forth." She looked at Steve. "She's fighting, and she's going to keep fighting."

The manager of the Jack in the Box was waiting for them. While Steve watched the video of Millie at the drive-thru, Kono checked out the women's washroom because the cashiers at the front remembered seeing Millie look square at them before going into the room. It took her a second to see it, then she was yelling for Steve. When he came into the room, she pointed to the mirror. It was faint, but it was there, done in Lipsmackers lip balm across the mirror, which Millie always had with her, and one was currently sitting on the sink.

"10-79 HSPCA Cd2 MP," Kono said, who already had her phone to her ear to call the bomb squad. "That's Millie's unique initial signature and she's saying there's a bomb at HSPCA, that it's urgent but go in without lights or sirens, meaning someone's watching."

Steve pulled out his phone and started dialling as they raced out of the building. "Get someone over there, quickly, quietly, and fast," he said to Danny when he answered. "The manager here is already sending the video of Millie to us. She had at least two people with her and we may have gotten a shot of at least one of them."

"_Go Millie, go_," Danny said.


	88. Chapter 88

**Chapter 88**

Millie's ears rang and her face stung. Jin Soon had just gotten a call, ordered her to pull over, and then slapped her the moment she'd faced him. She smiled.

"I said I would cooperate. I didn't say it would be willingly, and I hate dirty cops even more," she said, guessing what the call was about, touching her lip where blood was coming from a split lip.

"You start doing what you are told, or you will have even more blood on your hands," Jin Soon threatened. He was seated next to her, in the front passenger seat, and Hiro was behind him.

Millie wasn't too worried about that. _Surely by now_, she prayed.

"What did she do?" Hiro asked patiently.

"Punched my contact at HPD Main," said Jin Soon. "She broke his nose and now he has to lie to explain it."

Millie smiled even wider. "Like I said, I hate dirty cops. Besides, cops get broken noses all the time. Little hazard of the job. Paperwork's an absolute bitch." Then she smirked at Jin Soon. "But I think your problem isn't the fact that I sucker punched your buddy; I think your problem is the fact that a woman got the one-up on you guys."

Hiro just sighed heavily. "You know, if we weren't on oppoisite sides, we could actually be friends," he said.

"You, yes, possibly. Him, no. I don't play with medieval apes," Millie said, jerking a thumb at Jin Soon, who drew back his hand to hit her again. She raised a finger. "The first shot was free. The second shot won't be. I will cheerfully break your nose the same way I broke your buddy's."

Hiro smirked. "Enough, Jin Soon. We need her in one piece. Let's go."

"Where to next?" Millie asked, pulling back onto the road, praying her little stunt had bought her and her team some time.

_HSPCA Parking lot;_

A call to Ashley had located a suspicious backpack and let the bomb squad in through the back loading area, where the public didn't generally get to see. The bomb had been hidden under a bench in the public seating area and even though it wasn't very big, a lot of people and animals would have been very seriously hurt had it gone off.

"And what do we have here?" Lou asked, seeing the plain black Lincoln car in the parking lot. It was parked just far enough away that if there was a bomb, the occupants would be safe, and be able to get away without being noticed too much.

"If Millie's under threat of a bomb, then someone must be watching and waiting," Chin guessed. "If she doesn't cooperate, the bomb goes off."

"Shall we go pay our fine friend a visit?" Lou asked.

Chin smiled. "I like the sounds of that."

They approached the car carefully, weapons at the ready but tucked out of sight.

Lou tapped on the drivers's side window. The occupant rolled down the window, glaring at him. "Hi there," he said. Then he sucker punched the young Asian man, snapping his head back and causing him to drop his phone.

While the young man held his bleeding face, moaning, Chin got in the car from the other side and grabbed the phone. There didn't appear to be any detonators, but then again, the phone could also be the detonator.

"Nice ride," he said cheerfully. "You've been here for over an hour and a half, almost two hours now. I wonder, who are you waiting for?"

"None of your business, asshole," the young man snarled. "What's it to you, anyway? Don't you have anything better to do than hassle people like me?"

"Hassle you? Now you're just being mean," Lou pouted. "And here we are, just being friendly and all that, and you're saying we're hasseling you."

"Are you sure you don't want to go in and see all the nice cats and dogs in there? Maybe find a furry friend of your own? Been tempted to do that a time or two myself. You, Lou?" Chin asked, thumbing through the man's cellphone.

"Sure thing. Nothing like having a dog to come home to after a long day at work. Kids would love me," Lou said cheerfully.

Chin's phone rang. He answered it and listened to it for a few minutes then said, "Sounds good. We'll bring our new best friend in." He smiled at the young man. "HSPCA just found a box that the cameras are saying you left behind. I think we need to have a look at it."

"What the fuck?" he yelled as Chin got out of the car and Lou suddenly clamped cuffs on his wrist, before hauling him out the window and cuffing his other wrist.

"Oh, we're going to see that nice little bomb you kindly left the HSPCA," Chin said, helping Lou frog-march the young man. "And we really want to introduce you to a few special friends." He took out the young man's wallet and flipped it open to the driver's license. "Rio Wantanabe, huh? Nice to meet you, Rio."

"You can't do this to me!" Rio yelled.

"Actually, yes, we can," Lou said, hauling Rio inside the building, where a group of HSPCA staffers were waiting for them.

"Gentlemen, if you'll come this way," Ashley said, glaring at Rio coldly. Behind her was Kono and Danny, who was cuddling with a small, furry dog of _mutt-mixed heritage._

"Gladly," Chin said, following Ashley down the hall to a room full of barking dogs, concrete brick walls, and wire doors. Steve had joined them and was now helping them shove Rio along, who was fighting tooth and nail against his captors.

"This should be fun," Danny said. "What do you think, huh, little buddy?" he asked his companion, who started licking his face and ear, making him laugh.

"In here," Ashley said, opening what looked like an empty kennel. Lou, Chin, and Steve shoved Rio into the kennel and watched as Ashley padlocked the door. Then she got on her radio and said, "Okay, let Bear in."

"Bear?" Rio whimpered, seeing the small door near the corner of the kennel. The door slid up and a large English Mastiff charged into the kennel, growling and barking. Rio screamed in terror.

"Bear, sit!" Ashley barked. The dog sat down, still growling. "Now, he won't move unless I say so, but if I give the command, he'll tear your throat out without a second's hesitation. He's killed before; he'll kill again."

"Where's Millie?" Chin asked.

"Who?" Rio cried, eyes wide with fear, not taking his eyes off the dog.

"The pretty brunette lady with the Five-0 badge that probably watched someone lose their head about an hour ago," Lou said. "Just like you're about to lose a few favourite parts of your anattomy for that dog's lunch. Where is she and why was she grabbed?"

"I don't know! I don't know, I swear!" the young man yelled, fighting against the cuffs.

"Bear, up!" Ashley commanded. The dog stood up and came closer, growling and barking at Rio, who cowered in the corner.

"Really?" Chin asked. "Then why are you here?"

"I was told to stay here and wait for orders to detonate the bomb, if I had to!" Rio shouted.

"If you had to?" Steve repeated. "And if you didn't?"

"Then call the bomb in annonomously!"

"Cute. Real civil-like of you," Lou said. "Who is she with?"

"Jin Soon! He's my boss! I just had to stay here and wait for the call!" Rio shouted, watching as the dog got closer, barking wildly. "Please! Don't let him kill me!" he begged, almost crying. "Please! I'll even show you the number he uses! Please! Oh god! It's speed-dial number one!"

The men nodded. Steve looked at Ashley and smiled. "That'll do nicely," he said.

"Good. Bear, game over!" Ashley commanded.

And Bear, instead of attacking Rio, suddenly became a slobbering, licking, two hundred and fifty pound, playful dog, who tried to cover a screaming Rio in slurps and slobbers.

As they walked away, Lou started laughing. "That was mean. That was just plain mean. I loved it."

"Bear's a harmless teddy bear," Ashley said. "He was just taught how to look scary on command."

"I'll bet when he lays around the house, he lays _around_ the house," Lou said, chuckling.

"He's not that bad," Ashley protested. "But if he decides he's going to sleep on your bed, well, there's not much you can do about it."

"We'll give him a few minutes to calm down and then have HPD book him," Steve said, watching as Chin went through Rio's phone and found the number.

"And we have a hit," Chin said, holding up Rio's phone.

"Good. Let's get back to HQ and run with this," Steve said. "If we can find this Jin Soon, maybe we can find Millie."

They got to HQ, only to run straight back out; Millie's phone was back on, pinging loudly, and Duke was saying there had been reports guns fired at the same location as Millie's phone.

Kono stayed behind to run Rio's phone; they would need as much information as possible about who they were dealing with. Kono would also continue to monitor Millie's phone. If she or the device moved, they needed to know about it, fast.

Steve's phone rang; it was Kono.

"Guys, I just got a message from Millie. It says ADW, PI, 10-00, 10-0, Earp question mark."

"Which means what?" Danny snapped.

"_Assault with a deadly weapon, personal injury_," Kono said. "_She's been injured and get your butt over there, but use caution. Earp means there was a shoot-out and unknown number of injured or dead_. _Ambulance is already on the way, and so is Max. And guys? Be careful. Jin Soon is part of the Kyosei-kai yakuza and he's got a record a mile long, including assault and weapons charges. He does not play fair and it looks like he fights fair even less_." Then, "_Uh-oh. She's on the move again and I just got another message. Methos. She may not be there when you get there; she's traveling with someone who may or may not be a bad guy but is potentially a good guy. Steve, does the name Striker mean anything to you?_"

Steve's brow furrowed. "It might. Why?"

"_Because Millie's next message is to you. It says Koa, USMC, Striker, Code 6, which means stay out of the area_," Kono said. "_And 10-7, which means she's turning her phone off. Damnit. Steve!_"

"The only thing I can think of is a man I was assigned to assist a few years back, during a break from chasing after the Heese brothers," Steve said. "Even Joe was afraid of this guy. Only name I ever got out of him was Striker. Kept to himself but wasn't standoffish; just not one to offer personal details about himself. A few of us even sparred with him; he ran circles around us. Left as quietly as he came, and suddenly we're hearing about a major firefight to the south and one dead drug lord, one we'd been having trouble with for months. When we checked it out, Striker was gone and there were a lot of dead bad guys. Suddenly I'm getting orders from the absolute top to even forget this guy ever existed."

"But what would this guy have to do with Millie?" Danny asked.

"I don't know, and I've got a really bad feeling about this," Steve admitted.

_Several minutes earlier:_

Millie was going to die and there was nothing she could do about it. She had just sent Kono a message, too afraid to try calling. Now she wondered if she should have just called Steve instead, but then again, if she was going to die, she didn't want the last sound he ever heard from her was her dying scream.

Then the man's head suddenly exploded as the sound of gunshots echoed through the room. A scream slipped past her lips as the now-dead man fell to the floor, gun clattering across the floor.

She stared at the big man who had come around the corner, gun at the ready. He was tall, muscular, with black hair and icy blue eyes that made her shiver. Everything about this man said he was not one to be tangled with. When she didn't do anything except stare at him, holding her bleeding stomach, he lowered his gun cautiously. She had taken a knife to her side and watched as Hiro bled to death in her arms, after shooting the man who had just stabbed her. Then she'd been confronted by another man, one who had pulled a gun on her.

"You're bleeding," he said, coming over to her, totally ignoring his victim. She nodded numbly. "We need to get you out of here."

She shook her head. "I need to find Lee Chin Han. If I don't, and I don't show him the video, Jin Soon will get to him and my people will die because Lee Chin will believe Jin Soon and blame Five-0 and me for Hiro's death."

"What's your business with him?" he asked as he carefully checked her over.

"Son of a bitch killed his grandson in some kind of a stupid bid for more power. Hiro was above him, but younger than him, and Hiro didn't trust him not to do what he just did." She grunted as she took out her badge and gave it to him.

"Hawaii Five-0 Taskforce. I've heard of you," the man said. "What's your name?"

"Radar," she replied.

The man smiled as he took out his cellphone, snapped a photo of her, sent it to someone, and then put the phone to his ear. "Bear, says her name is Radar, but she gave me a badge for the Five-0 Taskforce." He chuckled quietly. "You always do." With that, he ended the call and put his phone away. Then he studied her, seeming to see right into her soul; she let him. Finally; "Matt Cooper, federal agent," he said, taking out his badge and letting her see it.

"Fine. Cute. Can we get out of here, preferably before I bleed to death?"

He swiped some First Aid supplies from the warehouse and got her out of the building and into his car, parked less than half a block away, just as they heard sirens. Millie wanted to go to them, to be safe again, but she couldn't, not until Jin Soon was taken care of.

"Do you have a gun I can use?" she asked when he got into the driver's seat. He reached down and handed her a nice Beretta 92 Compact. "Nice. I take it you don't care for Glocks?" she asked, checking the clip and making sure it was ready to fire.

He shrugged. "They're good enough in a fight. You?"

"Used to until Jin Soon took my service weapon away." She leaned her head back, just as his phone rang. He answered it.

"Go." He listened for a moment, his face blank of expression. "Understood, Bear. Better call the governor and explain the situation." He didn't turn off the phone, but he did put it down and suddenly whip into an alleyway in such a way that had her crying out in pain as she was slammed into the door.  
_What the hell?_ Then he had his own gun in her face and his icy eyes were on her.

"Officer Millie Phelps. You were seen at HPD changing drug seizures. What's there now is icing sugar," he said coldly. "You're either a dirty cop or in a hell of a mess. Start talking, now."

Millie stared at him, eyes wide. Then she started laughing hysterically. "You want me to talk, Blue Eyes? Fine. I. Am. Not. A. Cop!" she yelled. "I am a secretary! I am Five-0's Administrative Assistant and I just watched a woman get her head blown off because of me!" The whole story started tumbling out, and by the time she was done, she was crying hysterically. "All I ever wanted was to try and do some good in this crazy world, and instead I watched a woman get her head blown off and I couldn't do anything to stop it!"

A moment later, a soothing male voice from the phone spoke. "_Everything she says is good, Striker. We're confirming it even as we speak. Her team figured out real fast the body at the warehouse wasn't her due to several physical inconsistencies_."

"And the bomb at HSPCA?" she asked the voice.

"_Already taken care of. Reports are saying they found the bomb and the would-be bomber,_" the voice soothed.

"I'll deal with Officer James," Cooper promised, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder as he put his gun away. "I'll get you to Lee Chin Han and he can deal with Jin Soon."

"What about the video?"

"_What video?_" the voice asked, a grin clearly evident. "_So far, everything you've told us is true, so we'll help you. That video will never see the light of day. All we ask is that you help us help Cooper. Convince your team to back off on his activities_."

Millie though for a moment. "How good are you at finding things?" she asked watching as Matt got out the car and came over to her side. Taking the First Aid supplies he'd stolen from the building, he began tending to her as best as they could, given the situation.

"_Very, very good_."

"Even CIA agents?"

"_Even CIA agents_."

"Find Doris McGarrett. She's Steve's mother. Code name was Shelburn, I think. She went under about two years ago and he's only heard from her once, when she helped him save Danny from the Columbians by providing the team with some seriously hardcore intel, and if you're that good, you'll know who I'm talking about."

"_Understood_."

"Please, get a message to her. Tell her Steve's okay and so is Danny, that Steve misses her, but he's doing okay. And get a confirmation."

"_In exchange for your cooperation, we'll do our very best_," the voice promised.

Millie nodded. "Where do we find Lee Chin Han?"

The voice told them and, once he was done patching her up, Matt drove. "_By the way, Striker?_"

"Yeah?"

"_You've met Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett before. He was a SEAL on one of your missions about eight years ago. Tattoos on both upper arms, Hawaii local who taught you some of the language and ways. You said he had a lot of promise and asked us to keep an eye on him. He's in charge of the Taskforce now_."

Millie gave a short bark of laughter. "He's not just in charge, Brutha; he created Five-0 after his father was murdered by Victor Heese. The only person he didn't pick was me; Governor Denning personally offered me the job after I sassed him."

"_What about Wo Fat?_" the voice asked.

"Dead. Steve personally put a bullet in the man's head after enduring several hours of torture at the sadistic SOB's hands," Millie said coldly. "I don't know the details as I wasn't there and Steve doesn't like to talk about it, but that's the gist of it."

"Good to know," Matt said. "You need to tell Steve not to follow you just yet. Or me. I'll get you back to him, but he will have to stay out of my activities until further notice."

"I can do that, but you have to give me your word I'll be able to go home," Millie said, taking out her phone and sending yet another message to Kono. She could only hope it was not her last message.

"You have my word," Matt said.


	89. Chapter 89

**Chapter 89**

Steve stared at the mess in the warehouse, trying to mentally see what had happened. There was blood along one wall, suggesting someone was bleeding, and a bloody handprint against the same wall. Someone had come up behind the dead man in the room, shot him point blank in the head, possibly saving the person who had been against the wall, and then left with the bleeding victim. A First Aid kit was missing from its holding station, adding further evidence to the theory that at least one person had walked away from the fight.

"Okay, so at least half these guys have precision shots," Steve said to his team. "Whoever this new player is, he's playing for keeps. No wasted shots, all kill shots." A thought came to him. "Just like the bodies at the compound in Afghanistan. All kill shots."

"You thinking this Striker guy?" Danny asked.

"I am," Steve said.

"I'm seeing a bloody footprint that leads to a back alley," Chin said. "And I found a handprint on the wall. Millie?"

"But why?" Kono asked. "And what's her connection to the guy behind the barrels?" she asked, jerking her thumb towards a group of bullet-punched barrels, where the victim's body was found. She held up a bloody wallet. "Identification says his name was Hiro Miko. That was no kill shot there; the guy bleed to death and it looks like someone tried to stop the bleeding."

"What do we know about him?" Danny asked.

"I don't know, but I found the word _g-son_ in blood beside his body. Grandson, maybe?" Kono asked. "It had Millie's signature initial beside it, and the word _yakuza_ ."

"Are you sure?" Steve asked.

Kono nodded, gesturing for the team to follow her. Sure enough, beside Hiro's body, which had been covered up by his jacket, arms folded across his chest, were the words _g-son_ and _yakuza _written in blood, and Millie's familiar MP combined initial.

"She helped him die," Steve said. There was no doubt in his mind. "Even though she was bleeding herself, she helped him die peacefully and she tried to show him respect in death. Whatever was going on, she still tried to help him."

"So we just have to figure out who this Hiro is," Chin said. "And what his connection to the yakuza is."

_Some building tower, downtown Honolulu:_

"Was that a time machine we just rode? Because it feels like we just went back in time," Millie quipped. The blood loss was starting to affect her, she knew. If she didn't get help soon, she was going to be in very serious trouble.

The two men, predictably, ignored her.

Matt Cooper had taken her to an underground parking area, underneath a building tower in the downtown core of Honolulu.

It had taken a little convincing from both her and Matt to get her into the elevator that would take her to see Hiro's grandfather, specifically the video Millie had on her cellphone. Matt had warned her that cell reception was dicey in the building for some reason, so once she was in, she was on her own. She had fifteen minutes and then he was coming after her.

Right.

Before getting on the elevator, she'd been frisked and the Berretta had been removed and confiscated. She was told she would get it back if their boss decreed it so. If not, she would likely be shot with it.

Cute.

After getting off at a floor near the top of the building, she was led to a foyer, where they now waited. A moment later, a set of doors opened and she was escorted inside a room that looked like it had come right from Japan, right down to the very low table and cushions. Seated, waiting impatiently for her, was a Japanese man in a very expensive suit. He radiated power, strength, and something Millie couldn't quite put her finger on, but reminded her of those Marines she'd once come across, the ones who had seen war and lived to tell about it.

_Battle-hardened_. That was the word; battle-hardened. She was dealing with an old samurai who would have no compunction about killing her if he deemed it so.

"May I sit, sir?" Millie asked respectfully.

The man nodded sharply and Millie did so, clutching her stomach. The bleeding had started again; she was sure of it.

"I am Officer Millie Susan Phelps, Hawaii Five-0 Task Force," she said. "To whom do I have the honour of sitting with?"

The man studied her with a critical eye, then replied. "I am Lee Chin Han. You claim you have proof you are not responsible for my grandson's death, which I have been told you are, as you were seen at the scene of the murder. Jin Soon claims you shot my grandson out of spite."

She smiled, watching as a woman in full traditional Japanese kimono dress and headwear served them tea. She waited until Lee Chin took a sip of his before doing the same, mimicking his motions. Green tea. Of course. Probably the expensive kind.

"I do have proof," she said. "I have a video Jin Soon doesn't know I have. It's on my phone in my back pocket. Hiro Miko was shot by Jin Soon during a shoot-out between his people and a triad gang that was moving drugs, specifically cocaine. They had a rose and knife symbol patch, I think. Jin Soon wants the yakuza to take over this gang so the yakuza, specifically him, can control the drug pipeline in that area, something Hiro disagreed with."

"As do I. I knew of this gang and they are minor, not worth bothering with," Lee Chin said. "I gave orders to ignore them."

"And Jin Soon ignored them. He shot Hiro with my gun, which he had taken off me earlier, after he murdered a woman I thought was a friend, to force me to cooperate with him and Hiro, except it wasn't a kill shot. I grabbed Hiro and tried to stop the bleeding. I tried to protect him, but I could only comfort him as he bled to death. Hiro knew what was going on and knew Jin Soon would either blame me, or you would go after the gang, putting Jin Soon in charge. Either way, Jin Soon climbs higher up the ladder, and Jin Soon doesn't like me anyway; I sucker punched a cop I suspect he had on his payroll, after he forced me to switch a bag of cocaine from the evidence locker. Jin Soon retaliated by slapping me. Told him the first shot was free, but the second shot wouldn't be. Jin Soon wants power, sir, and he doesn't care how he gets it or who he has to kill to get it, even if it means your family or framing someone like me."

"Can you prove this?"

"Yes. Like I said, I have a video recording Hiro insisted on doing."

She carefully reached for the cellphone and thumbed it on. Flipping through her files, she found the recording and handed the device to his bodyguard, who handed it to Lee Chin. He pressed the Play button and she watched as he listened and watched his grandson's final words.

Hiro was gasping for breath, struggling to stay alive long enough to make the recording he had insisted upon. Millie, wanting to help and praying for help from someone, anyone, had done as he'd asked; taking out her phone and putting the Record on.

"_Grandfather, hear my words. Millie is not responsible for my death, which comes quick. Jin Soon is. He sought to use her kindness for our gain. He shot me to help him rise to my position, which he coveted greatly, and start a war with the triads, a war we do not need. We could have been friends, she and I, had things been different. She is honourable; Jin Soon isn't. Hear my words; hear hers._"

When the recording ended, Lee gave the phone back to his bodyguard, who gave it back to her. She took a moment to go through her pictures, settling on her favourite one of Steve. How she missed him. Would she ever get to see him again, or would this whole b.s. end with her death?

She left her phone on but put it on vibrate, even though there was no signal in the building, before putting it away. This might be her only chance of getting home.

Looking up at Lee Chin, she noticed his face was pale. She waited, wondering if she was going to pass out from pain before he spoke again.

Finally, he did.

"You are honourable. You tried to help my grandson, even knowing who and what he was," Lee Chin said.

"I agreed with him when he said that if things had been different, he and I could have been friends."

Lee Chin nodded. "I will honour his last request. You are absolved of his death. I will deal with Jin Soon."

"Understood. Thank you."

"No, thank you for showing courage to face me. You are honorable and you have acted honorably and kindly towards my grandson, and my honor dictates that I return the respect accordingly. I see that you are injured. I will have my personal physician attend to you and I will talk to Jin Soon again," Lee Chin said. He glanced at his bodyguard and nodded sharply. The bodyguard bowed and moved to do as silently bid, while two escorts in suits helped her stand up carefully.

Before she was escorted out of the room, she managed to do a proper bow. Lee Chin nodded sharply, accepting the gesture.

Then she was led out of the room and into a different room, one that spoke of medicine, both traditional and modern. Two young Japanese women carefully removed her bloody shirt and pants and gently wiped the blood off her face and body with warm, wet cloths.

One of the women saw the ring on the chain.

"You have someone special, yes?" she asked.

Millie nodded, holding the ring tightly. "Yes, very special, and I want to go home to him. I miss him, and I know he's going to be worried about me."

Both women nodded. An elderly Japanese man who looked wise beyond his years, came into the room and began examining her. Soon, after giving her an injection to numb the pain, he stitched up her knife wound and did the same for the cut on her arm. As he did so, the women washed the blood out of her hair, and smoothed a warm-smelling moisturizer on her bare skin, nearly putting her to sleep with their gentle massaging hands.

"You are with child," the doctor said afterwards. "You must take better care of yourself."

Millie stared at him, trying not to choke on the tea he had given her, to help her body heal he said. She swallowed hard.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"I have been doctor for many, many years," he said. "Many times I have seen the signs. You are with child. Not far along, but with child."

Millie raised a shaking hand to her lips. She was pregnant with Steve's baby. Now she really wanted to go home.

Once the doctor was done, the women came and dressed her in a dark blue cotton samue, which was a simple working uniform for Zen monks that had evolved over time and become favorable among ordinary people as home wear and street clothes; Millie could see why. The women combed her hair, putting a pretty red headband in her hair and her blood-stained runners were replaced with simple black tai chi slip-on shoes that Millie swore were going to be a permanent part of her daily wardrobe. Then she was escorted back to Lee Chin Han, who was now standing by one of the windows.

_Probably bullet resistant glass_, she thought. _A guy like him, it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest._

"I have spoken with Jin Soon and he claimed exactly as you predicted he would. I have told him you will be dealt with accordingly and I have a special assignment for him. Will Five-0 interfere with that?" Lee Chin asked.

"No, as long as your people don't come after mine," Millie said, strongly suspecting Jin Soon's assignment involved a one-way ticket to Hell. She shivered involuntarily; blood loss, she knew. "I had nothing to do with Hiro's death and I wanted nothing to do with Jin Soon and his petty ambitions. The dirty cop at HPD will be dealt with accordingly, but not by me. Leave me and mine alone, and I will leave you alone." She shivered again.

Lee Chin nodded sharply. "You are cold," he said, noting her shivers.

"Forgive me; blood loss and a fast metabolism," she said. Before she knew it, she was being wrapped in a simple short dark blue kimono-style wool jacket that was quilted with polyester.

"You and your people will be left alone. I will have someone take you wherever you need to go," Lee said.

"Thank you," she said, bowing respectfully again. "May I have my gun back? You'll have to excuse me if I'm not comfortable being unarmed at this moment."

"Fair enough," Lee Chin said.

He barked something at one of the nearby men and soon she found herself being carefully put in a sleek black limo and given the Beretta back. As the limo drove through Honolulu, she went through the settings on her phone and turned on the cellular service. Predictably, she suddenly got a flood of text messages and missed calls. She dialed one number that had been entered earlier, and when a male voice answered, she said, " E malu 'oe."

"_Mahalo_," the voice replied before ending the call.

Now, to finally go home.

_Headquarters:_

They had just gotten back from the crime scene and were now going over everything they had and could find, to try and figure out their next move.

"Guys, Millie's phone just came on," Chin said, noticing something on the computer screens.

"Where is it?" Steve demanded.

"Rapidly coming our way," Chin said. "ETA five minutes."

"Let's go!" Steve barked.

They were just exiting the building, weapons at the ready, when a black limo pulled up. As they watched, someone from the passenger side exited the vehicle, opened up the back passenger door, and carefully assisted none other than Millie, out of the vehicle. She appeared unharmed, just very pale and very tired, but more importantly, she was alive.

Gone were the clothes she'd been wearing earlier in the day. Now, she wore a dark blue robe and similar cotton clothing. Her hair was damp and held back by a pretty red headband.

"Millie!" Steve cried, rushing up to her and engulfing her in a rib-cracking hug, which she returned, moaning softly as she did, something he didn't fail to notice. Then, ignorning everyone, he kissed her soundly, something she eagerly returned.

Danny and Kono smirked at the female cops in the gathering crowd, seeing their crestfallen faces. The point had been made, loud and clear; Steve had chosen someone and her name was Millie Phelps.

As the rest of the group surrounded her, along with Duke who had heard the commotion, the limo pulled away, vanishing into the night and traffic.

"Are you okay?" he demanded as Millie accepted the hugs from the rest of her friends and family.

"Took a knife to the side," she admitted. "I had it looked at by a doctor and I've been stitched up and all that, so I'm okay. It's just a very long story and I swear I will tell you all everything, but first and foremost, whatever you do, stay away from Lee Chin Han and Jin Soon. There's an ultra deep covert black ops going down over the next day or so. We're talking Mariana Trench deep, here, and we're under orders from Denning not to interfere. His orders come from the Commander in Chief, himself." Several pairs of eyes went wide; the Commander in Chief was also known as the President of the United States. "Steve, the agent involved, you've apparently met him before. Said his code name was Striker and you taught him a few Hawaiian phrases and ways."

Steve swallowed hard. "Over six feet tall, black hair, blue eyes, no discernible accent?" he asked.

She nodded. "Built like a rock and moves like a big jaguar on the hunt. He scared the hell out of me, but he did save my life. Oh, and a dead shot. He favours a Desert Eagle .44 Magnum. He also let me keep this cutie," she said, holding up the Berretta. "Jin Soon still has my damn Glock."

Steve nodded, rubbing a hand across his face. "That's him." He looked at his girlfriend. "And the orders came from the absolute top?" She nodded. "Fine. We leave him alone for now."

"Steve?" Duke asked, puzzled.

"I've seen this guy before," Steve explained, keeping his arm around his girlfriend as they headed inside. "During one of my last trips in Afghanistan, during a break from chasing after the Heese brothers. No formal name, just Striker. We were under orders to assist him in whatever way he asked and not to ask any questions. Even Joe was nervous around him. Millie's right; I taught him a few Hawaiian phrases and customs when the subject came up over chow one time. A few of us even sparred with him; he ran circles around us. Left as quietly as he came, and suddenly we're hearing about a major firefight to the south and one dead drug lord, one we'd been having trouble with for months. When we checked it out, Striker was gone and there were a lot of dead bad guys." A sudden thought came to him. "Just like some of those guys at that warehouse," he realized.

Millie nodded. "That was him. He took out a guy who was going to kill me. I don't know why he was there, only that he was." She glanced at Duke. "I don't know about you, but I'm starving. I need coffee and I need food. Would you care to join us, Dukey? It'll save me the hassle of explaining everything twice."

"Sure thing, kiddo," Duke said.

It was a while before Steve and Millie finally got home and once they did, Steve stripped her and took a very long shower with her, giving her the comfort and loving they both badly needed. He fussed over her stitches and personally rewrapped the gauze and tape around her. Then he held her closely in bed as she made a call, putting it on speaker.

"_Go ahead, Radar_," said a gentle female voice.

"Five-0 won't give Striker any problems, but McGarrett says if he needs help, call us. No questions asked. He remembers," Millie said. "And he says to tell Striker aloha and mahalo, from both of us."

"_Understood_," the voice said.

Millie ended the call, put her phone down, and snuggled against Steve, letting her long-overdue tears slid down her face. The day was over. Now the healing could begin.


	90. Chapter 90

**Chapter 90**

Jin Soon was found the next day, beaten and tortured. Shaw figured it was going to take her at least a day to catalogue all the injuries inflicted on him, never mind trying to figure out which one killed him.

Officer James was dumped on the HPD Main steps in the early hours of the morning, still sporting a swollen nose from where Millie had punched him earlier. He had been beaten, stripped down to his underwear, and hogtied with plastic cuffs. A sign had been placed around his neck, loudly proclaiming him to be a dirty cop. He even had a video on a flash drive of his confessions. Internal Affairs was investigating, but the officer in charge of the investigation, Detective Mica Sawyer, had assured Five-0 they would be leaving Millie alone, after having seen Hiro's death confession video and spoken to her at length.

The bag of cocaine Millie had been forced to exchange for icing sugar? That had been found at the warehouse where Hiro had died, and it had been returned to the evidence locker.

Denning had not been amused when he'd gotten the various reports but had been assured that the deal Millie had made with Lee Chin Han was legitimate and would instantly become null and void if Lee Chin Han popped up on their radar for any reason at all. He had also raised an eyebrow when word had gotten to him about a branch of particularly vicious yakuzas being shut down permanently. They had been part of a pipeline bringing in sex trade victims and they had been ruthless in their dealings. The person who had gone after them had been just as ruthless, leaving a burning building and bodies in the wake. As for the sex trade victims, they all said the same thing, of a tall warrior man with black hair, black grease paint on his face, and blue eyes. He had come in the night, like a wrath, and brought the fires of Hell down upon their captors and tormentors, and then, like the spirits of old, had left just as quietly as he had come.

The gang leader that Jill Roland had slept with? He was identified and it was confirmed he had indeed had sex with her, but hadn't known about the video.

"You're easy on the eyes, babe, but you ain't my type," Mario said, looking at Millie. He was seated across from her in the interview room at HPD Main, with Duke and Steve standing behind her.

"And Jill was?" Millie shot back.

"She was, until she cut her hair," Mario said. "I like my girls tall and busty. You ain't."

"That's fine. I know someone who likes me just the way I am, and I don't have to pay him to get laid," Millie snarked.

Mario laughed. "You're a regular firecracker, ain't ya?"

"I'm also in a lot of pain, bucko," Millie warned him. "And speaking of which, you're about to be in pain too. You're under arrest for solicitation of sex, and from what I understand, this isn't the first time."

"I hate you," Mario snarled as he was cuffed.

"Join the club," Millie said tiredly.

As Mario was led out, Steve's phone rang. It was Danny, and they had a new one.

"I'll catch up to you in a bit," Millie promised. "I have an appointment with my doctor."

"Is everything okay?" Steve asked.

"I'm fine; I just want to get the stitches looked at, make sure it's healing properly, yada yada yada," Millie assured him.

At the Honolulu International Airport, Max was waiting for them.

"Where's Millie, if I may ask?" Max asked.

"Doctor's appointment. She'll catch up to us in a bit," Steve said. "What do we have?"

"Mark Tyrone," Max said, holding up the victim's wallet.

"Plane came in from Baltimore. Airport security found him stuffed in the bag," Kono said, referring to the large duffle bag Mark Tyrone had been discovered in. "The baggage handlers noticed something wasn't quite right about the bag so they called Security, and Security called us."

"What can you tell us about him?" Chin asked Max.

"Cause of death appears to be strangulation by zip cord," Max said, indicating the wide black zip cord around the victim's throat. "Liver temperature suggests he's been dead for at least an hour, but I must factor in the fact that cargo holds in planes do get a bit chilly, which could speed up his body temperature drop."

"I'll check with the pilots, see what the cargo hold temperature was," Kono said. "That should help."

"Thank you," Max said.

"We may have a problem," Danny said, having been going through Mark's wallet. He held up an identification card. "Guy was a Marine; Gunnery Sergeant. And his driver's license said he was living in Washington, D.C."

"So what's he doing over here? And was he on the flight voluntarily?" Steve asked.

"Security is going through the rest of the cargo now, trying to find anything that might belong to him," Lou said.

"And we're about to start talking to the flight attendants and passengers, see if they remember seeing him," Chin said.

Steve nodded. "I'll call NCIS, run him through their database, see what they can tell us."

"Might be a good time to say hello to our friends in Washington," Danny quipped.

_Later, at Headquarters:_

"Okay, so he was definitely on the flight willingly," Danny said. "His credit card statements show he purchased a return ticket a few days ago, and he was supposed to head back later this week."

The cargo handlers had turned up Mark Tyrone's simple travel bag, but not his cell phone or laptop, if he had one. The bag had contained several days worth of clothes and personal items, including his uniform, but no indication as to why he had been coming to Honolulu. His keys had also been found and it looked like something had been ripped off the main part of the key chain.

"I spoke to an NCIS agent here, and he was quite willing to turn the case over to us," Steve said. "Apparently they're up to their eyeballs in cases right now and they're short-handed at the moment."

"Short-handed or unwilling to deal with a case that could cause them to have to leave their nice sunny beach?" Millie grumbled.

"That's up for debate," Steve admitted. His girlfriend didn't look too happy with life at the moment and he vowed to talk to her in private as soon as possible. In fact, he was pretty sure there was something going on that she wasn't telling him. "They sent me his file and it's clean," he said, throwing up the file on the screens. "He was working the Research and Developments Department to help design and test new weapons, especially for close-quarter combat, but beyond that, it's sealed."

"Both passengers and airline crew do remember seeing the victim," Lou said. "He got on the flight, but no one's too sure when he disappeared. He was in the preminum economy class section and one woman remembered flirting with him for most of the flight, but she doesn't remember seeing him during the tail end of the flight."

"Same here," Kono said. "He was there for most of the flight but then vanished near the last hour or so of the flight. All of the passengers have been asked to go through their pictures if they took photos during the flight and send them to us. Maybe we can spot something."

The computer beeped, signalling an incoming call from someone. It was Eric and he didn't look too happy.

"_What did the movie_ Supernova _and airplane toilet holding tanks have in common?_" Eric grumbled. Before anyone could answer, he continued. "_They both stank._"

"I take it you found something?" Danny asked patiently.

"_Yeah; the victim's cellphone in the holding tank_," Eric said, holding up an evidence bag with a cellphone in it. "_It's going to take me a bit to get it cleaned enough to see what else he had on it, but I was able to get a number, which should get you his text messages_." He rattled off a series of numbers, which Chin typed in, before signing off, still grumbling about stinky airplane toilet holding tanks.

"And we have a hit," Chin said. "He was calling someone on the island, but it looks like it goes straight to the switchboard at Marine Corps Base Hawaii."

"Which would explain why he was coming here, but not who he was coming to see," Steve said.

"What's at the Marine Corps Base Hawaii?" Millie asked.

"What isn't?" Steve said. "It has a training facility, deployment section, housing for both military and civilian employees, and it even has its own runway."

"So having a Research and Development department there would not be out of the question?" Millie asked.

"Not in the slightest. We just need to find out what he was working on," Steve said.

"Which means we need to get nasty with the Department of Defense," Danny said.

"Oh goody. I love doing that," Millie grumbled, rubbing her temples, where a headache was rapidly forming.

"Think Gibbs and his crew might be able to help us out?" Danny asked Steve.

"They owe us a favour and the victim was from Washington anyway," Steve said, "so yeah, I think so. Let's see if we can set up a video conference with them. In the meantime, we need to find out who Mark was going to see here."

"Other than asking each and every person who worked there, I don't see how," Chin said. "If we can find his computer or his emails, we might be able to find out."

"Which might be on his very stinky phone," Danny said. "Eric's going to love us."

"Okay, Danny, you and I are going to the base. I have a contact there who might be able to help. Chin, get in touch with Agent Gibbs and explain the situation, see what he can do on his end. Otherwise, let's go through airport footage, see if maybe we can spot someone who was on that flight who may have gone after our victim," Steve said.

Steve's contact at the Marine base got him to see the head of the base's Development and Research, Sergeant Major Tom Castle.

"Yeah, I was expecting him," Castle said. They were in his office, and the situation had been explained. "We're in the process of testing a new type of binoculars, one that could be effective even after being underwater for an extended period of time and increase our range of view. Gunnery Sergeant Tyrone was helping develop it in Washington, but his last couple of emails said he had some concerns about the device and I had invited him down to show me the data he had."

"Is it possible someone didn't want you to see that data?" Danny asked. "If there was a problem with the binoculars, that could set things back weeks or months."

"That was Gunnery Sergeant Tyrone's concern," Castle said. "He struck me as the kind of man who took his job very seriously, and if he thought there was a problem, then there was a problem."

"Would you be willing to let us look at the correspondence, sir? If we can get his email address, we may be able to see if he had any contact with anyone else who may have known about the problem," Steve said.

"Can I trust you to understand the need for security in this matter?" Castle asked.

"Sir, I was with the Naval Intelligence before becoming a SEAL," Steve said. "Trust me when I say I know a thing or two about security."

"I swear this guy eats those kind of reports for breakfast. Or is that bullets?" Danny teased, earning him a glare from Steve.

"Ignore him, sir," Steve said.

Castle studied the two men for a moment then nodded sharply. "I'll have my secretary get you a copy of all the emails between Gunnery Sergeant Tyrone and me. Let me know when and if you catch the son of a bitch who killed him."

"Yes sir," Steve said.

Back at Headquarters, Chin had managed to reach Supervisory Special Agent Jethro Gibbs at NCIS and was now engaged in a video conference call with him.

"His name is Gunnery Sergeant Mark Tyrone and he has an address in Washington, D.C," Chin explained, pulling up the file. "He was on his way to see someone at Marine Corps Base Hawaii and at the moment we're trying to find out who, because the number goes to the main switchboard and not to a direct number."

"_Do you have any idea what he was working on?_" Gibbs asked.

"Not at the moment, no. CSU was able to recover his phone from the airplane lavatory holding tank, so they're having fun with it. Steve and Danny went to the base to talk to a contact of Steve's. We're trying to reach someone at the Department of Defence in Washington, but from the way Millie's swearing, she's not having much luck."

"_Agent Pride mentioned Millie_," Gibbs said.

"I'm sure he did," Millie said, joining Chin. "Charming gentleman. I was able to get a name; Captain Jane Sherwood. She was his supervisor, I think."

"_You think?_" Gibbs asked, studying the brunette woman who stood at least a foot and a half shorter than Chin.

"Considering I'm a civilian with no direct connection to the Navy or Marines, I constantly myself lucky I even got that," Millie shot back. "Hawaii NCIS may have let us have the case, but that doesn't mean everyone's going to play kissy-face. I left her a message but I'm not holding my breath."

"You did the best you could," Chin said to her. "Think you can do anything on your end?" he asked Gibbs.

"_I'll go rattle a few doors_," Gibbs said, deciding he liked this new Five-0 team member. "_You're limping,_" he said to Millie, watching the way she was standing.

"Going to be for a while," she replied. "Took a knife to the side three days ago."

"_And the person who did it?_" Gibbs asked.

"He's got his very own toe tag," Millie said.

"_Even better_," Gibbs said. "_I'll let you know what I find,_" he said to Chin.

"Thanks. Tell Dabi we said 'hi'," Chin said.

"_Will do_," Gibbs said, signing off.

"Nice guy," Millie said.

"He is," Chin said. "How are you holding? You don't look too good."

"Headache," she grunted. "And paperwork galore. Who knew yakuzas could be such a frigging nightmare?"

_Later that night:_

"Sweetheart, what's going on? You've been awfully quiet lately, and you're watching your diet," Steve said, taking her hands in his, the way he knew she liked. They were cuddling on the couch, trying to take a break from the day while they still could. She was eating, but it was more like she was forcing herself to eat, rather than actually wanting to eat.

Millie bit her lip. "If someone knew something that had the potential to affect your life in a big way, but wasn't a hundred percent sure because that someone didn't trust the source of that information, would you still want to know?" she finally asked.

"Yes," he said without hesitation.

"Okay. Umm, when Lee Chin's doctor was checking me over, he told me I had to start taking better care of myself because I was with child," she said. Steve's eyes went wide. "The problem is, when I went to see my doctor to get a blood test, which is the main reason I went, I found out she was on vacation and her substitute refused to have the blood test done until I had missed my cycle, claiming it was too early to tell and he didn't trust anyone who didn't have a proper PhD in front of their name." She gave a tight smile. "And as you know, my cycle is erratic at best."

"Did you explain that to him?"

"I did, while resisting the urge to put his face through the wall. He didn't care. Not his problem." She sighed heavily. "So I'm debating about whether or not to go visit Charlie and do it that way, but I don't want to take advantage of resources."

He rubbed a hand across his face, not sure what to think. "How sure are you?"

"I'm not, but I also know my stomach has been a bit jumpy lately, especially in the morning. I've been feeling sleepy more often, and I've suddenly started craving candied cherries and Cool Whip, and not just a little bit. We're talking a full out whole container craving here. Plus there's the headaches, which tend to be a result of hormones, from what I've read."

"How soon can you do a pregnancy test?" he asked.

"Not for a while. I need to be at least four to six weeks along in order to get an accurate result, which is why I wanted the blood test; they're more sensitive and they can be dated. I just didn't want to say anything because Lee Chin's doctor was a mix of both traditional and current medicine, which is why I was blown off by this other doctor. I didn't want to get your hopes up, so I figured I would play it safe by treating myself as I was pregnant, until I knew more."

"Fair enough." He sighed, taking her hands in his again. He could see her problem, and he wanted to hit the substitute doctor himself, but he did have a solution. "Go see Charlie. Explain the problem, and ask him to keep it on the QT. He's pretty good about that kind of thing. We need to know, for both our sakes."

"Okay, but please, don't say anything to the others just yet."

"I agree. And if you are, I don't give a damn what you think, we're getting married."

She looked at him shyly. "And if I'm not, could we still do it anyway?"

He smiled. "Yeah?" She nodded, blushing. "Then as soon as we can get a marriage license, we'll get married." He loved the way her face lit up. He looked at her grandmother's ring. "How do you think Gram would have felt about having this enlarged?"

She smiled. "She would have loved that."

"First thing in the morning, then," he said. "And we don't tell the others just yet, not until we're sure."

She nodded, then suddenly jumped into his arms, giggling, as she drove him down to the cushions, before wincing at the tug of her stitches.

Smiling at her, he shifted slightly so she was tucked beside him. "So you're going to marry me, huh?" he asked, needing to hear her say the words.

She nodded. "Yes. Yes, I will. Pregnant or not, I will. That whole business with Hiro and all that, it got me thinking. Life's too short to be afraid of the past, and I know things are kinda moving pretty fast with us, but we've known each other for almost a year now, and we've seen the best and worst of each other, so that's got to count for something."

"It does, it does."

"And maybe I'm just tired of waiting and want to grab things by the horns while I still can."

"Good." He leaned down and kissed her thourghly. "You know Danny's going to laugh his ass off at us," he said when they finally came up for air.

"Probably, if the others don't first."

"Good point. How do you want to do this?"

"Simple. We won't be able to keep it quiet, but we can keep it simple."

He nodded. "I like simple. And you're right, we won't be able to keep it quiet. What about certain traditions? I like the Hawaiian way of doing it."

She smiled. "So do I. The way Kono and Adam did it was nice. We just have to make sure Grace is the flower girl, or else."

"She did say something about that," Steve admitted. "The only problem I can see are your buddies at HPD."

She groaned at the thought. "You know, that's going to be one well-protected wedding, right? No one would dare do anything stupid with a bunch of cops around!" A thought occured to her. "What the hell is Denning going to do when he finds out?"

"I have no idea and I'm almost afraid to find out." Then he took her hand in his, lacing his fingers through hers. "Whatever happens, we will deal with it together, okay? Together."

"Always," she promised.


	91. Chapter 91

**Chapter 91**

Charlie looked up when an extra large cup of his favourite coffee came waggling within his view. The cup was attached to Office Millie Phelps' hand and she had a charming look on her face.

"And hello to you too," he said. "I take it Five-0 is about to ask me for a favour?" he asked.

"No, this is not Five-0 business. This is personal and it involves discretion," Millie said.

"And you couldn't do it yourself because?"

"Because my doctor is away on holiday and her substitute was asking for concentrated hydrochloric acid to be poured in his pants, that's why."

Charlie cringed at the mental image. Concentrated hydrochloric acid was corrosive when it came in contact with skin, so having it poured in a guy's pants, well, bye-bye sex life and hello catheter bag for the rest of your natural life. "Is this going to be a big favour or a little favour?" he teased.

"A little favour, but a detailed favour," Millie said. "And it's worth another one of these and a spot at my wedding, which you know nothing about yet."

Charlie's eyebrows shot up and he grinned. "I'm listening," he said, accepting the coffee.

"A pregnancy test. I have a very erratic cycle so a standard pregnancy test can be difficult when I don't even know when my next cycle is supposed to be. The doctor who took care of me, after I got stabbed, is a traditional Japanese healer who said I was with child and he had seen many women, so he knew the signs. The substitute doctor is a guy with his nose so far up in the air it's in the exosphere, and I'm desperate to know," Millie explained.

"Fair enough, and easy to do," Charlie said. "Just one question."

"Okay."

"Rumours say you and McGarrett are together. Yes or no?"

"Very yes. We behave during working hours, but not during after hours. Plus, I'm living with him."

"That explains why he went nuts when you were kidnapped by that wacko around Halloween," Charlie said, grinning. "And you want discretion because the rest of the team doesn't know yet?"

"That's right."

"But I do," said Eric, popping up beside her. "What's it worth for me?" he asked with a hopeful look on his face.

Millie grabbed the young man by his shirt with one hand, and hauled him almost nose-to-nose with her. "It's worth my not borrowing one of Charlie's scalpels and using it to carve you a new tattoo on your ass, without anaesthetic," she growled.

Eric gulped. "If I promise not to say anything to Uncle D until you do, can I have an invitation to your wedding? I promise to behave," he said, eyes wide.

"Only if you don't say anything about either the wedding or the pregnancy test," Millie said.

"My lips are sealed tighter than Kim Kardashian's butt," Eric vowed.

"That was a mental image I did not need to see," Charlie grumbled.

Millie smiled and let go of Eric's shirt, before proceeding to pat his face. "Good boy. I'm sure I can arrange something," she said.

"Thanks. I think," Eric said.

Charlie just chuckled and shook his head in amusement. After gathering the necessary tools, he withdrew enough blood to do the test.

"I'll text you when I have the results," he promised, labeling the test tubes.

"Thanks, Charlie. I appreciate that," Millie said, rolling down her shirt sleeve.

"And Millie?" Eric said carefully.

"Yes?"

"Congrats. I mean it," Eric said.

Millie smiled at him. "Thanks."

At Headquarters, Steve could not erase the smirk on his face.

"Okay, what is going on?" Danny demanded.

"What do you mean?" Steve asked.

"You have the cat that ate the canary look on his face," Lou said.

Steve smiled wider.

"And you're not going to tell us, are you?" Chin guessed.

"No, he's not," Danny said, recognizing the look on his partner's face.

"I'll bet it has something to do with Millie," Kono teased. "Where is she, anyway?"

"Running an errand. What do we have?" Steve asked.

"Gibbs coughed up a lead for us," Chin said, bringing up an email Gibbs had sent them earlier that morning, given the fact that Washington was five hours ahead of Honolulu. "He spoke to the Department of Defence and Captain Jane Sherwood was Gunnery Sergeant Tyrone's supervisor, but she was also in charge of several other people, and she didn't know him personally."

"So who was he working with?" Steve asked.

"This guy," Chin said, throwing up a file of Lieutenant Colonel Gordon Quaker. He had a clean-shaven appearance and wore a Navy uniform, with dark blonde hair peeking out from under his uniform cover. However, there was something about his eyes that didn't seem to sit quite right. "And Gibbs was able to confirm he was working on the field binoculars. As for what the problem was and why he was coming here, Quaker didn't know, only that Tyrone had suddenly requested time off for an emergency leave."

"I'm starting to think we need to head to Washington," Steve said.

The computer beeped, signalling an incoming video call. Chin tapped it, accepting the call, and someone the team recognized as Special Agent Timothy "Tim" McGee popped up on the screen, next to a small blonde woman.

"Agent McGee, good to see you again," Steve said.

"_Likewise, Steve,_" Tim said, smiling. He indicated his companion. "_This is Agent Ellie Bishop. We stole her from NSA a few months ago_."

"Hi Ellie. I'm Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett. That's Detectives Danny Williams and Chin Ho Kelly, Officer Kono Kalakaua, and Captain Lou Grover. What's up?"

"_We had a look at Gunnery Sergeant Tyrone's apartment and desk_," Ellie said. "_We found his computer and a whole bunch of interesting emails between him and Lieutenant Colonel Gordon Quaker, his supervisor. Gunnery Sergeant Tyrone was expressing concerns about testing results on the field binoculars, especially the lenses, which had a habit of fogging up during wet conditions._"

"That would be dangerous," Steve said.

"_Even more so because the lenses were fogging up inside the binoculars_," Tim said. "_The problem was, this was only happening to one in every ten binoculars_."

"That's still one too many," Lou said.

"He's right; if your gear doesn't work at all in the field, you're at risk, and if you can't see the enemy, then you're as good as dead," Steve said.

"_Which is what Tyrone was saying. He wanted to investigate the cause of the fogging, but Quaker was apparently under pressure to get the binoculars out into the field, because they could also be used for night vision, and with ISIS stepping things up, the faster we get our gear up to par the faster we can hammer down on ISIS before they strike again_," Ellie said.

"But would something like that be worth killing over?" Kono asked.

"_You'd be surprised_," Tim said. "_Just after we stole Ellie from NSA, we investigated a case of faulty ballistics vests. One of the people involved in the mess was willing to kill to keep the secret and the money that went with it_."

"_A lot of times, these things have contracts, and contracts always equal big money_," Ellie said.

"_But that wasn't the only thing we found_," Tim said. "_We also found a second email account, and it seems he was chatting with Dwayne Webber, formerly Staff Sergeant, before he left the Marines._"

"What kind of chatting?" Danny asked.

"_The real cozy type chatting. We've got Ducky taking a look at them for a profiler analysis_," Tim said.

"Ducky? What kind of name is that?" Danny asked.

Both Tim and Ellie smiled. "_Doctor Donald Mallard. He's our chief medical examiner but he also has plenty of experience in profiling_," Tim said.

"_He's a very charming English gentleman,_" Ellie said.

"_Just don't piss him off. I think he once shoved a French cop off a cliff for contaminating a crime scene_," Tim said. "_Apparently there was an ample body of water below, but the cop didn't know that at the time. That's Ducky for you_."

A brunette woman appeared next to Steve, and casually slapped his arm with a folder. "Just got the results back from Max and Eric. Our victim was definitely strangled with a zip tie and he had traces of fibres in his mouth and nose, fibres that were laced with chloroform. No idea how the hell that got on the plane, given the tight security measures, but given the fact that it's usually a clear liquid, it could be mistaken for water," Millie said. "Hi, I'm Officer Millie Phelps, Administrative Assistant."

"_Special Agent Tim McGee and Agent Ellie Bishop. Nice to meet you, Millie,_" Tim said, smiling.

"Likewise. Continuing on. Eric got DNA off the zip tie and CODIS kicked back a hit," Millie said. "Sophia Wilson. She's been arrested for assault, and according to what I just saw, she's got the muscle to pull it off; she's a mixed martial arts fighter." She tapped a few keys on the computer table and brought up the file.

"_Yikes,_" Tim said. "_I can hear Tony's wisecracks already. Do you know where she is?_"

"Fair guess says she's still on the island, so we'll start combing through the airport security cameras," Steve said. "Credit cards, cell phone, the usual. Last known address is on Ingrahm Street, in Washington."

"_That's ours_," Ellie said.

"_We'll also chat with Dwayne Webber,_" Tim said. "_See what he knows, and the nature of his relationship with Gunnery Sergeant Tyrone_."

"I know the answer to that already," Millie said, plugging in a flashdrive and pulling up a series of photos and text messages. "It was intimate, and if I had to guess, I'd say it's a relationship that's been going on for a while. According to Eric, the last message he received was from Dwayne Webbers and it goes as follows. Dwayne to Tyrone, be safe and I'll see you when you get home. Tyrone to Dwayne, I will. I just have to take care of this whole b.s. Dwayne to Tyrone, you do that, and then I'll take care of you the way you like."

"_We'll be gentle,_" Tim promised. They signed off shortly afterwards with promises to stay in touch.

"We need to find Sophia Wilson," Steve said. "There's got to be a reason why she's on the island."

"Murder doesn't cut it?" Danny asked.

"A ticket from Washington to Hawaii ain't cheap," Lou pointed out. "If you're going to spend that kind of cash, you need to make sure it's worth your while."

"If she's an MMA fighter, maybe there's something like that going on in Honolulu," Kono suggested.

"It wouldn't surprise me in the slightest," Chin said. "Female MMA fighters are getting a lot of attention these days, and clubs and events are popping up all over the place."

"Okay, airport security cameras, credit cards, cell phones, MMA clubs, start calling, start searching," Steve said. "Her DNA is on the zip tie, which makes her our number one suspect."

As everyone got to work, with Millie heading for the kitchen for her cup of coffee, Steve followed her with the intention of getting his own cup.

"How'd it go with Charlie?" he asked quietly.

"Done and done. He'll text me when he has the results. Didn't take much to bribe him, but I did have to confirm the rumor that you and I are together. I did, however, have to threaten Eric when he overheard the conversation, but the boy scares easily. He's promised not to say anything, provided he gets a seat at our wedding," she replied. "It was either that or I carve him a new tattoo in his ass with a scalpel and no anesthetic."

Steve chuckled. "You're mean."

"Yeah, but you love me anyway."

"That I do," he said, giving her a quick kiss. "How about the ring?"

"Done. It'll take a few days because the ring is old, but the jeweler assured me they can do it with no problem. Feels kind of funny not wearing it, though," she admitted. "I'm used to having it there and fiddling with it."

"Maybe you should think about putting another ring there," he suggested.

"Considering it. Pyramid Collection has some beautiful rings on their website."

"When are we going to tell the others?"

"Soon. They're not stupid; they'll figure things out sooner or later. I want Kono as my Maid of Honor, though," she said.

"Good idea."

"If you two are done mooching, we've got work to do," Lou called.

"Mooching?" Steve repeated quietly, raising his eyebrows.

Millie grinned at him. "That's a new one. We'll do a little more 'mooching' later," she promised. "The bad guys are waiting."

"Aren't they always?" Steve grumbled.


	92. Chapter 92

**Chapter 92**

_Washington, DC:_

Special Agent Tim McGee stared down at Dwayne Webber. The former Staff Sergeant had been found in his garage with his head beaten in, possibly by the bloody baseball bat that lay nearby. It looked like he'd been working on his motorcycle when the attack had occurred, and Tim was willing to bet Webber never saw it coming.

"Loud music," he said to Ellie, who had the crime scene camera in hand. "Even if he had yelled, no one would have paid much attention to it."

"Who called it in?" Gibbs asked.

"Webber's sister, Martha. She hadn't heard from him in several hours and came to check on him. Saw his body, and went screaming to the neighbours," Special Agent Tony DiNozzo said.

"Cops were already here when we got here," Tim said. "When they found out we were going to talk to Webber anyway, and the fact that he's a former Marine, they let us have the case."

"Duck?" Gibbs asked.

The chief medical examiner was crouched next to the victim and was examining him carefully.

"I'm afraid this poor man was beaten rather savagely around the head, Jethro," Ducky said. "I'll know more when I get him on my table, as always."

"Time of death?" Gibbs asked, watching as Ducky and Palmer carefully rolled the victim onto his back. As they did, Ellie snapped a few pictures. Despite the fact that his brain was little more than a pulp, Webber had a peaceful look on his face.

"About to find out," Ducky said.

"Any sign of a break in?" Gibbs asked his team.

"Nothing that I could see," Tim said.

"Martha said she unlocked the door to get in," Tony said. "Seems he had a habit of keeping his doors locked, even when he was at home. She didn't notice anything out of the ordinary until she checked his garage. Looks like Webber, and Webber alone, was the target."

"And this poor fellow was killed sometime yesterday afternoon, between noon and three p.m.," Ducky said, having just done a liver probe and some quick calculations. "However, I must take into account the garage temperature."

"When was Gunnery Sergeant Tyrone murdered?" Gibbs asked.

"Five-0 says he was killed about an hour before the plane landed in Honolulu, which would have been around one-ish their time, yesterday," Tony said. "They're not going to be happy about this."

"Computer? Laptop, even?" Gibbs asked.

"Bagged it, tagged it, and will be paying a visit to Abby," Tim said. "Same with his cell phone."

"Also, there are indications someone was going to move in with Webber," Ellie said. "He was making space in his closet and I found research papers on same-sex domestic relationship rights."

"Talk to the neighbours, see if anyone saw anything, heard anything," Gibbs said.

"On it, boss," Tony said.

As the team continued to examine the house, they found hate mail in the victim's garbage can.

"Someone was not happy with him," Tony said, laying out the crumpled pieces of paper. They all had words cut out from magazines and newspapers and were all a variety of hate words, none of which were worth repeating. "Not seeing any envelopes or anything like that, so it looks like they were hand-delivered. Wonder if Tyrone knew about this?"

"If he did, we'll find out, hopefully," Tim said, watching as Ellie photographed the new evidence.

"Are we looking at a hate crime?" Ellie asked.

"Maybe, but someone would have to know Tyrone was on that flight, and his itinerary," Gibbs said. "That's pretty specific information."

"So we're looking at someone close to him, and possibly Webber, because how would they know he was in the garage, and the fact that his door was locked?" Ellie said.

"Was it?" Gibbs asked.

"Bring the sister in, talk to her again," Tony said, anticipating Gibbs' orders. "And see if she knows anything about the hate mail and her brother's relationship with Tyrone. And check that lock."

"And Martha's keys," Tim said.

_Fred's Gym, Honolulu, O'ahu_

They had found Sophia Wilson and she had tried running. She hadn't gotten very far when she had been tackled by Steve, but now she was up on her feet and fighting, and Steve was remembering all the reasons why he hated MMA fighting.

"Are you crazy?" Danny snapped at Sophia, leveling his gun at her, or trying to. She had bucked him and Steve off of her and now she was trading blows with Steve.

"You're not taking me in!" Sophia yelled, launching a kick at Steve's head. He blocked it, grabbed her leg and threw her to the floor. She rolled, got back up, and was about to attack again when she found herself being grabbed in a headlock by a much bigger, much stronger, male MMA fighter.

"Settle down, sistah!" the Hawaiian native man snapped, forcing the struggling woman to her knees. "Five-0 just wants to talk!"

"We want her hands behind her back," Danny shot back.

"Give, now," the man said, forcing Sophia to put her hands behind her back. He held her as Steve and Danny cuffed her.

"Sophia Wilson, you're under arrest for assaulting a federal officer, and for suspicion of the murder of a United States Marine," Steve huffed.

"You can't prove that!" Sophia snapped.

"Actually, yes, we can. We found DNA on the zip cord that was used to strangle Gunnery Sergeant Tyrone, and you're already in the system for assault, so guess what?" Danny said, helping the woman stand up. "You get to pay a nice little visit to our interrogation room for a very nice chat with the rest of us."

Sophia swore at them.

"In the mean time, you have the right to remain silent," Danny said, starting to recite the Miranda Rights as he herded her towards the gym entrance.

"Thanks for the assist, man," Steve said, offering his hand to the MMA fighter.

"Any time, brah, any time. She really kill a Marine?" the man asked, shaking Steve's hand.

"We have reason to believe so, yes. We're just not sure why," Steve admitted.

"Crazy bitch. You ever need any help like that again, you call the gym and ask for Anakoni," the man said. "I'll come running and pound the sucker for you."

Steve grinned. "I'll certainly keep that in mind." His phone went off, signalling an incoming text message from Millie. As he read the message, his eyes went wide, then he let out an excited yell, punching his fist in the air.

"_Charlie says positive, three weeks, congrats. Pick up some ginger ale on the way back to HQ please; gonna need it_."

Anakoni peered over his shoulder and read the message, then nearly drove Steve to his knees as he slapped his shoulder.

"That's great, man, that's really great. Your wife?"

"Fiancée," Steve said, sending off a fast acknowledgement to Millie, with promises for more when he saw her. "Said she would even if she wasn't."

"Even better," Anakoni said.

Danny was waiting for him at his car, Sophia still glaring at them. "All right, what gives? That grin of yours gets any bigger, it'll split your face," Danny said.

Steve showed him the message and swore Danny's eyes were going to fall out of his head.

"You're kidding me? You're gonna have a little Grace or Charlie of your own?" Danny said, starting to grin.

"Looks like it," Steve said, grinning. He did a fast count. "Late June, early July," he predicted. "And Millie's already agreed to marry me, and that means as soon as we can arrange it."

"Damn, this is going to be fun," Danny said, chortling.

"It's going to be even more fun, because you're getting stuck with Best Man, and I know Millie wants Kono as her Maid of Honor."

"And Grace has dibs on Flower Girl," Danny remembered.

"If you two are done with all the coochy-coo, can we get out of here?" Sophia snarled, clearly not liking the way things were going.

"Coochy-coo?" Steve repeated, eyebrows shooting up.

"Seriously?" Danny said, herding her towards a waiting police car, who had arrived as per Danny's call. "Lady, my partner is about to take on the most important job in the world. That's not coochy-coo, that dance on the rooftop and yell. And trust me, having been there, done that, I may not have done the whole rooftop thing, but believe me when I say I wanted to."

Steve and Danny stopped at a place in town that sold a special pineapple and ginger ale drink, before heading back to Headquarters.

When they arrived, Tony DiNozzo and Jethro Gibbs were on the computer screen. Millie smiled when she saw Steve, who handed Danny the drink, grabbed Millie around the waist, dipped her, and proceeded to kiss her soundly.

"_Wow_," Tony said, eyes going a bit wide. Gibbs was looking a bit shocked as well, but he chuckled in amusement.

"Hi," Steve said to Millie, when he finally let her go, and helped her straighten up.

Blushing badly, she said, "Hi yourself."

"Steve just found out he's going to be a daddy," Danny explained, still grinning as he handed Millie her drink. "And they're getting married as soon as possible."

"_That would do it_," Gibbs said, nodding sagely, watching as the rest of the Five-0 gave the expectant parents hugs and congratulations.

"We may have a problem," Millie said breathlessly, trying to get things back on track. "Agent Gibbs said his people went to talk to Dwayne Webber, except someone got there first and bashed his head in."

"_TOD says between twelve and three yesterday_," Gibbs said. "_We're also finding evidence that Webber was receiving anti-gay hate mail that was personally delivered to his mail box and under his car windshield wipers_."

"We just arrested Sophia Wilson," Steve said, not removing his arm from around Millie's hips. "Right now, aside from suspicion of murder, we're charging her with resisting arrest and assaulting a federal officer. We're going to try and find out what we can from her, but don't be surprised if we join you up there. We still don't know what was on the missing flash drive, or whether or not Webber's murder is deliberate misdirection."

"_That's what we're wondering too_," Tony admitted. "_We're about to have a chat with Webber's sister, Martha, so we'll keep you appraised of that. Don't be surprised if you hear from Abby_."

"Will do," Steve said.

They ended the call, and then Lou shooed both Steve and Millie out.

"Go, enjoy some You Two time while you still can," he said. "You got baby and wedding plans to figure out, and we've got some bachelor party plans to get started on."

As the couple left, with Millie blushing badly and Steve grinning like a maniac, the former SWAT captain turned to his friends, rubbing his hands gleefully.

"Now, what exactly are we going to do, and how are we going to do this?" he asked.


	93. Chapter 93

**Chapter 93**

"Why did you kill Gunnery Sergeant Tyrone?" Danny asked the sullen woman. She just glared at him, not saying a word. Danny and Lou were in the Five-0 interrogation room with Sophia Wilson, trying to get her to talk, but so far she wasn't cooperating.

"Sophia, we have your DNA on the zip tie that was used to strangle him and we have you on video that says you were on the same flight as he was," Lou said. "We also found the money that was sent to you, money that you used to pay for your flight ticket and hotel accommodations. Where did the money come from?" Sophia said nothing. Lou sighed heavily. "Fine. Washington NCIS wants you, because it was their Marine you murdered. Since our women's prisons are getting a little crowded here, we're gonna send you back to Washington, DC, and you get to talk to NCIS there. As it stands, you're being charged with murder and resisting arrest."

"I want a lawyer," Sophia said.

"She speaks!" Danny said sarcastically. "Why did you kill Tyrone? Did he do something to piss you off? We know he was seeing a guy back home. Did he humiliate you somehow? Maybe you thought he'd be a good catch, except he preferred men over women, and maybe that pissed you off."

"I couldn't care less," Sophia snarled. "But he embarrassed my friend, made her think he was in to her, when he was actually screwing her brother."

"So you killed him for that?" Lou asked. "Kinda stupid, if you ask me. Maybe you're into the sister and went after Tyrone the way a would-be lover would for someone they're trying to impress." The flushed look on Sophia's face told them the answer.

"Why the missing thing on Tyrone's keychain? Was that a flashdrive?" Danny asked.

"I was asked to get rid of it, misdirection thing," Sophia grumbled.

"Asked? Asked by who?" Danny asked.

"By the same guy who paid for my flight and stuff," Sophia said. "I don't know who. Don't care." After that, she clammed up.

"_Basically, other than to admit she took revenge on Tyrone over embarrassing Webber's sister, Martha, she's refusing to talk,_" Danny said later. "_The only other thing she did admit to is that someone had paid her to be on that flight and paid for her accommodations, but she doesn't know who, and Chin is tying himself in knots trying to trace the money. In the mean time, Sophia's being booked as we speak._"

Steve groaned softly, rubbing his face. Beside him, cuddled against him, was Millie. They were in the back of his truck, enjoying a lazy day, when Danny had called him.

"_I'm thinking we send Amazon Woman back to Washington, and let them sort out the mess,_" Danny said. "_Technically she's from there anyway and I don't feel like listening to her lawyer scream about extradition and jurisdiction and things like that._"

"Same. Okay, call Agent Gibbs and boot her his way. What about the missing flashdrive?"

"_Misdirection is all she would say_," Danny said.

"Okay, let Hawaii NCIS know, just to cover our bases. I think we've done all we can here, for now," Steve said.

"_Sounds good. How's it going on your end? Have you set a date yet?_"

"November twenty-nine. That way Millie's parents avoid the Thanksgiving flight crush and Mary and Joan can still be with us, since Millie offered to fly them down for Thanksgiving."

"_Nice,_" Danny said, a grin in his voice. "_You know this is going to be a very crazy Thanksgiving, right?_"

"Like it usually isn't? Millie's nervous, because this'll be the first big gathering she's been around in several years, and it seems she's heard a few stories about our previous Thanksgivings, especially the football games."

"_Ah, we're not that bad. Long as there's plenty of food, I'm good_," Danny said. "_Going to be spending some of my time with Charlie, though_."

"Understandable. Okay, keep me posted and let Gibbs know," Steve said.

"_Will do. And congrats again, man, to both of you_."

Steve chuckled. "Thanks." He put his phone away and looked down at his fiancée, who smiled up at him. They had taken Steve's truck to a secluded beach area and were currently in the back of the truck, which was facing the beach, on an air mattress Steve had put in the cargo hold of his truck a while back.

"Other than Sophia Wilson not talking much, they're all good," Steve told Millie. "They're going to send her back to Washington and let NCIS deal with her, especially as she's admitted to knowing Webber's sister, Martha."

"Which basically means it's Gibbs' problem now," Millie said. "So we don't have to go to Washington, after all."

"Not unless you want to escort the little twitch."

"With my luck, she'll try and strangle me on the flight, if she doesn't try and beat the hell out of her escorts. Thank you, no. I've had enough of that for a while."

Steve chuckled. "Let's hope things get quiet for a little while," he said.

"That would be nice, especially with a baby and a wedding to plan for."

"Boy or girl?"

"Don't care, as long as the little one is healthy. And if not, well, we'll deal with it when the time comes."

"Fair enough. I think we're going to have to hire Sam, though."

"Oh?"

"I want the balcony checked over, to make sure it's strong enough to handle a toddler pushing against it."

"Good idea. Did you know Ashley moved in with him?"

"Doesn't surprise me in the slightest. Tell him to bring her with him on Thanksgiving, and warn him, it's going to get interesting."

"I'll warn him. I'm begining to wonder if the oven is going to be big enough for the size of the bird we're going to need."

"We may actually have to do this at a park or something."

"I'm starting to think so! Do a potluck-style Thanksgiving at a park or campground or, God forbid, a stadium."

"That's actually not a bad idea."

"The potluck or the stadium?"

"Both. We may need the space."

"Oh my lord," Millie groaned.

Steve laughed.


	94. Chapter 94

**Chapter 94**

"Hey Gibbs, you got a minute?" Agent Tyler Finlay asked, coming up to his desk. The agent was no youngster, but still not as seasoned as Tony was. Still, he was good enough to have his own team, as far as Vance was concerned. Privately, Gibbs had his doubts, but figured if the guy fell, well, it was Vance's problem, not his. However, if Finlay's mess landed at his feet, then he'd get cranky.

"Yeah, what's up?" Gibbs asked. Sophia Wilson was on a flight back to Washington, having confessed to Gunnery Sergeant Tyrone's murder. McGee and Abby were tearing Sophia's life apart in an attempt to try and find her mysterious benefactor, while Tony and Ellie went after Martha Webber again.

Finlay handed him a file on a Master Sergeant Jon Mulaire. "We got an anonymous tip a while ago about him being involved in some missing weapons. Intel appears to be solid and we brought him in."

"Appears to be? Have you been able to verify it?" Gibbs asked, reading the file. Mulaire looked like a fairly straight-laced Marine, having done several tours, and was almost at the end of his enlistment.

"Been trying to, but the source is buried pretty deep," Finlay said, handing him the case file.

"What's Mulaire saying?" Gibbs asked, reading through the file. His brow furrowed. It looked like Finlay was chasing a bunch of rumors and there wasn't a lot of anything solid.

"Short of denying the accusations, he's not talking. Even refused a lawyer, even though we've pretty much got him dead to rights."

"Are you sure?"

"Fairly."

"Fairly? Fairly isn't going to cut it with a lawyer, not with what I'm seeing here."

"I know, but this guy is being a stubborn SOB and isn't helping himself. I was hoping you could talk to him, maybe break him."

"Break him? Finlay, you don't break a Marine. They break you."

"Right. I forgot; you're an ex-Marine," Finlay said sarcastically.

"No such thing as an ex-Marine," Gibbs said, getting up from his desk and heading for the interogation room.

"Damnit, Marine, do you understand the amount of trouble you're in? Right now, we have enough evidence to haul you over to JAG and rake your ass over the coals," Gibbs snapped a few minutes later. "And your file says you're a better Marine than that."

Just as Finlay had said, Mulaire was stubbornly quiet, except to deny the accusations of weapons handling.

"That's nice, Agent Gibbs, but I've got a little deal for you," Mulaire said. "I'll talk, gladly, but not to you or anyone else at JAG or NCIS. I trust none of you right now."

"Then who?" Gibbs snapped impatiently. "Your lawyer?"

"No. There's a pretty little lady who lives in Honolulu," Mulaire said. "Her name's Millie Thompson, and when I knew her, she worked for the Honolulu PD as an Administrative Assistant. Five-four, brown hair, green eyes, fair skin, butterfly and hibiscus tattoo on one ankle, wicked bat swing, a real lady." He pulled back his uniform undershirt enough for Gibbs to see a red, yellow, and green hibiscus flower tattooed on his chest, just below his left collar bone. "She's the reason why I got this. You find her, you bring her here, and I'll talk to her, and her alone."

"And if I don't?"

Mulaire shrugged. "Then you have nothing, except a bunch of rumors from a source you can't even confirm."

Gibbs glared at Mulaire before storming out of the room.

"What game does he think he's playing? Who the hell is he talking about?" Finlay demanded, coming out of the other room.

"I don't know, but I know someone who can help us find her a hell of a lot faster than we can," Gibbs said.

"You're actually going to give in to this guy's demands?" Finlay snapped increduously.

"Not giving in; taking back the ball," Gibbs said. Pulling out his phone, he quickly called Steve McGarrett.

"_McGarrett_," he said.

"Gibbs. We've got a problem; we have a suspect by the name of Master Sergeant Jon Mulaire. He's part of a missing weapons investigation and will only talk to someone by the name of Millie Thompson. Said she was an Administrative Assistant for the Honolulu PD," Gibbs said. "Described her as five-four, brown hair, green eyes, fair skin, a butterfly and hibiscus tattoo on one ankle, wicked bat swing, and, to quote him, a real lady. Can you find her?"

"Don't have to. You've already met her," Steve said,leaning back in his chair. "Millie changed her surname to Phelps a little while ago and now works for us. She's also my fiancée."

"_The brunette you kissed after saying hello_," Gibbs realized.

"One and the same."

"_Would she know Master Sergeant Mulaire?_" Gibbs asked.

"I don't know, but I can find out," Steve said, heading for Millie's office. He rapped on her door and stuck his head in when she looked up. "Do you know a Master Sergeant Jon Mulaire?" he asked, coming into her office.

Millie took off her reading glasses and rubbed the bridge of her nose, thinking. "I might. What does he look like?"

"Gibbs, what does the guy look like?" Steve asked, putting his phone on speaker.

"_Six-two, blonde, blue-eyed, a bulldog tattoo on his right bicep, with the letters USMC underneath, and a red, yellow, and green hibiscus tattoo just under his left collar bone_," Gibbs said.

"Clean shaven? Buzz-cut? Scar above his left eyebrow? Looks like he could easily toss three guys across the room without a second's hesitation?" Millie asked.

"_That's him_," Gibbs said.

"Yeah, I know him, sort of," Millie admitted. "I had an affair with him a few years back, when he was on leave. Met him at a tattoo parlour when I got a tat done while he was having one done as well. We got talking and I spent a few nights with him. What about him?"

"_He's a suspect in an investigation by another agent, and is refusing to talk to anyone but you_," Gibbs said.

"Me? But I'm nobody special," Millie protested. "I lost touch with Jon after he returned to his unit, and because I thought it was just a vacation-type affair, I didn't think much of it."

"_Well apparently he did_," Gibbs said. "_I don't know too many Marines when would willingly tattoo a hibiscus flower on their chest_."

"Which just happens to be a favourite flower of mine, something I remember mentioning to him when I was having the one on my ankle done," Millie admitted. She looked up at Steve. "When I knew him, he was a pretty decent guy. I'm willing to talk to him if we can set up a video connection."

"_He said in person_," Gibbs said. "_And I don't think video is going to cut it with this guy. We can guarantee your safety, but we need this guy to talk. He's in trouble up to his blonde locks and he ain't talking._"

"It's your call, sweetheart," Steve said. "If you decide to go, I'll go with you, and we'll book ourselves an early honeymoon."

Millie's eyes lit up at the prospect. "Any recommendations, Gibbs?" she asked.

There was a smirk in Gibbs' voice. "_I can think of a few_," the agent said.

"I'll book the flight and let you know where and when we're coming in," Millie said.

"_Sounds good_," Gibbs said.

As Steve left Millie's office, he took the phone off speaker and said to Gibbs, "Now, about those accomodations, do any of them include either a very large bath tub or a hot tub?"


	95. Chapter 95

Chapter 95

"Sir, ma'am, the captain is inviting you up to the front," the flight crew officer said to Millie and Steve. They had secured a Lockheed Hercules C-130 military transport aircraft that was on a return flight back to Joint Base Andrews, near DC. Flight time was eight and a half hours. Gibbs had assured them someone would be waiting for them at the base.

Now, dressed in heavier clothing due to the knowledge that DC was experiencing cold fall temperatures, Steve and Millie were on the plane, which was currently cruising over the ocean.

Millie grinned at the boyish eagerness on Steve's face. "You go. Me and heights, not a good idea," she said.

"You sure?" he asked.

"I'll be fine. Long as I can't see out, I can't freak out," she said.

Up front, Captain Stubbs smiled at Steve as he entered the cockpit.

"Commander, welcome. Is Officer Phelps okay?" Stubbs asked.

"She's okay, just not too fond of heights," Steve assured her. "To quote her, as long as she can't see out, she can't freak out."

"Fair enough," Stubbs said. "This is Commander Jake Page," Stubbs said, introducing her co-pilot.

"Nice to meet you. Thanks for taking us along," Steve said.

"Not a problem. Nice to have some company along the way," Page said. "Officer Phelps says you guys are Five-0 Task Force?"

"That's right. NCIS in DC needs our help with a case, and since we would rather travel with our weapons without airport security asking too many questions, this is the faster way. Plus, you guys were the next flight out," Steve explained. "And the situation in DC isn't critical, but it is serious, and the faster we get up there, the better."

"Understood. Is Officer Phelps okay? I noticed she was moving carefully," Page said.

"Took a knife to the side a few days ago," Steve admitted. "She's still a little sore. Plus, she's three weeks pregnant and her back's giving her trouble."

Both officers groaned in sympathy.

"My wife had twins, and for the first two, three months, she had to carry a back pillow with her everywhere," Page said.

"I think we might have a heating pad in the kitchen, if that would help," Stubbs said.

"It would," Steve said.

"We'll make sure she gets it," Stubbs promised.

The rest of the flight passed quietly, with the crew kindly giving Steve and Millie an air mattress to crash on, especially once the rest of the crew learned of Millie's pregnancy and the rapidly-apparent relationship between Millie and Steve.

Then Millie got an e-mail from McGee.

"Okay, this is plain weird," Millie said, reading the e-mail on her iPad. They were in the kitchen, enjoying a cup of coffee and a quick bite, kindly provided by the crew, while going over the case files. "McGee says they found a picture of Gunnery Sergeant Tyrone _and_ Master Sergeant Mulaire, plus three other guys they're still trying to identify. The picture was amongst Webber's photos, something Tyrone apparently sent him while he was still on tour."

"That's a unit group photo," Steve said, looking at the attached picture. "So Master Sergeant Mulaire knew Gunnery Sergeant Tyrone," he said. "And he's in trouble over weapons."

"I've been going over Agent Finlay's case and right now I can easily punch six holes in it," Millie said. "Finlay does not appear to have made any serious attempt, other than a scratch-the-surface joke of an attempt, to find the source of the information that claims Master Sergeant Mulaire is involved in the missing weapons."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously. It's the kind of information I would be very reluctant to act on without further investigation, but Agent Finlay looks like he's trying to make a name for himself."

"What are you seeing?"

Millie pulled over Finlay's file and flipped it open. Knowing the flight was going to be a long one, she had brought plenty of reading material. "As far as I'm concerned, the guy is a walking air horn; all noise and not much substance. I may have to punch him in the nose."

"Not sure that would be a good idea."

"Oh?"

"You might enjoy it too much." Millie laughed. "Anyway, I'm wondering how much of a coincidence it is that two men in the same unit are either dead or in a lot of trouble, both by an anonymous source."

"That's my concern too," Millie said. "And with Master Sergeant Mulaire not willing to talk to anyone but me, that screams serious trust issues with authority right now, and his file says he's a good man and a good Marine who normally does not have that sort of problem."

"I agree. What was your relationship with him like?"

Millie looked at her fiancé. "Is that personal or professional?" she asked.

"Both," he admitted.

She smiled. "I met Jon just after I crossed paths with your father. He was the first guy I'd really paid much attention to after I finally stopped grieving, and he was fun. It was an affair that lasted about a week, before he went back to his unit. It was just a good time for me, that was all. I didn't fall in love with him because I wasn't ready to fall in love again, not just yet. In all honesty, I had actually forgotten about him until Gibbs asked me about him." She took his hand in hers, rubbing her thumb across his knuckles. "I don't even have any pictures of him or anything like that, other than a deep respect for anyone in uniform who can survive being over there, like I know you were. You're here, he's not, and you're the one that I want, not him."

He smiled at her, thankful for her reassurance.

When they landed, they had a surprise waiting for them. Along with Tim McGee was Dabi Moore-Gibbs, Agent Gibbs' daughter.

Steve had met Dabi several years ago, after she had been kidnapped by a ruthless gun runner, Arboreal Omen, in retaliation for Gibbs investigating him in Los Angeles. She had been brought to Honolulu to be sold on the sex slave market, but she had escaped, but not before killing one of the men manhandling her. Steve and the rest of the Five-0 team had joined forces with Gibbs and his team to not only rescue Dabi, but also bring down Arboreal Omen once and for all.

Now the red-head young woman was laughing as she hugged Steve tightly.

"It's good to see you again," she said/signed. Dabi was deaf, due to meningitis, but still maintained her speech due to the fact that she was part owner of a bakery she had inherited from her grandparents.

"You're looking good, kiddo," Steve said. "This is Officer Millie Phelps, Five-0's Administrative Assistant, and my fiancée."

"Welcome to Washington," Dabi said, grinning at Millie, who smiled back. "I know Dad has to take you to your hotel and NCIS, but first chance you get, you have to stop by the bakery. Nana really wants to meet you."

"As long as there's food along the way, I'm happy," Millie said.

"And no sharp knives; I think you may have a skinless agent on your hands by the time Millie's done with Agent Finlay," Steve said to Tim, who grinned; he really didn't care much for Agent Finlay and a chance to watch someone go after him was something not to be missed.

"Cool! Can I watch?" Dabi asked eagerly.

"Don't you have a business to run?" Tim asked her.

Dabi shrugged. "We closed early today and Leo has a football game with a bunch of his buddies. No way am I hanging around for a Guy Game on t.v., not with the way some of his buddies are. Besides, this is more fun. Besides, I haven't had a chance to pull a fast one on Tony in a while."

"He changed the lock on his desk drawer again," Tim said.

Dabi grinned. "He doesn't know I know how to pick a lock, thanks to Ellie."

"All of a sudden I am very, very nervous," Tim said, causing Steve and Millie to grin.

At NCIS, Steve and Millie were introduced to the rest of the team, along with Agent Finlay, who puffed himself up when he saw Millie, flight-worn as she was. Gibbs wasn't there yet, having gone to get some coffee.

"I'm Agent-" Finlay began, but Millie cut him off rudely.

"I know who you are; you're Agent Jack Ass. I read your report on Master Sergeant Mulaire," she said coldly.

"Excuse me?" Finlay spluttered. Several pairs of eyes went wide and Ellie, Tony, and Tim struggled not to grin. Steve, on the other hand, didn't even bother to hide his grin. He loved watching Millie do this.

"Aside from information coming from a source you can't even locate, never mind getting him to say 'boo', you have nothing, other than a very pissed off Marine," Millie continued. "If he's asking for someone like me, someone he hasn't seen in years, much less kept in contact with, that tells me he's got some serious trust issues with NCIS and possibly a few other people. Mind you, with your gung-ho attitude, I can sorta see why. You don't have anything real behind that fancy badge of yours, not even any time with the PD or any of the armed forces, which makes me wonder if you're actually qualified to do your job, because right now, Agent Ass, I am having some pretty serious doubts about that."

"And how long have you been doing your job?" Finlay demanded, not liking this newcomer one little bit.

Millie smiled coldly and leaned in close, deliberately invading his space. "Since I was eighteen, and I'm twenty-eight now. Can you do the math, or shall I get you a calculator?" She glared at Finlay icily. "Master Sergeant Mulaire is mine now, and it turns out he may be connected to a murder investigation Five-0 just had our fingers in before turning over to Agent Gibbs. Guess what that means, bucko?"

"What?" Finlay snapped.

"Your joke of a case is now ours," Millie said. "And because Gibbs is a senior agent and Lieutenant Commander McGarrett is a SEAL, if they say jump, you'd better damn well jump with both feet, boy, or I'll be using mine to kick your ass. If you go near Master Sergeant Mulaire before I talk to him, I will show you how the Hawaiian warriors gave their enemies an enema." She smiled. "It involves shark teeth. Think about it."

"I am, believe me, I am," Tony muttered to Tim as a mental image came to mind.

"Now, where's the coffee? I am cold and am in bad need of a caffeine shot," Millie said, spinning around and clearly dismissing Finlay, who could only glare.

She nearly found herself nose-to-chest with Gibbs, who was grinning widely. Without saying a word, he handed her his own cup of fresh coffee.

"Agent Gibbs, a pleasure to meet you," Millie said, accepting the coffee and dropping the Ice Queen act in one smooth move.

"Likewise, Officer Phelps," Gibbs said, ignoring the shocked looks from the rest of his team.

"Please, call me Millie, or Radar if you prefer," Millie said.

"Good to see you again, Commander," Gibbs said to Steve, shaking the man's hand.

"Same here," Steve said.

"And why are you here?" Gibbs asked, looking at his daughter.

"Watching the best shred fest I've ever seen," Dabi said, grinning. "That was so cool!"

"You might want to check under your desk," Steve said to Gibbs. "I think Agent Finlay's balls might be under there."

"That's what the housekeeping department is for," Gibbs said, shrugging.

"I have a degree in computers, but no prior experience as a cop. Do you think I still qualify as a federal agent?" Tim asked Millie casually, trying to get a read on her.

"Sure. You actually have a brain between your ears," Millie replied easily. "Agent Ass, not so much. He's like his namesake." Said agent had stormed off, possibly heading for Director Vance's office to scream about Millie and the fact that she had basically taken his case away from him and threatened him with bodily harm.

"How so?" Tim asked, grinning at the officer and deciding he liked her plenty.

"They both stink and are both full of shit," Millie said. "Plus, they make perfect targets when their owners are bent over."

Tim grinned even wider. "Officer, I like you."


	96. Chapter 96

**Chapter 96**

Abby Sciuto had joined them and Steve had received a very enthusiastic hug from the gothic forensic specialist. She had also given Millie a warm welcome and inquired about the rest of the Five-0 team.

"How do you want to play this?" Steve asked Gibbs once Abby had been assured everyone was good.

"Nail him in the morning. It's late," Gibbs said. "After that, bring him here and we'll talk."

"I'll talk to him," Millie said. "I won't let on about Five-0 until I know what's going on. I've got a pretty shrewd idea of what to ask him, but if I could get a bug in my ear, that would help."

"Easy to do," Tim said.

"What do you make of the fact that Master Sergeant Mulaire knew Gunnery Sergeant Tyrone?" Steve said.

"We're not sure yet," Ellie said. "We've been going through their computers and e-mails and we're not finding anything to suggest they were even talking to each other."

"What about Martha Webber?" Millie asked.

"One very angry sister," Tony said. "Seems she chased after Gunnery Sergeant Tyrone for a while, only to find out he was actually involved with her brother. She did not take kindly to what she perceived as some serious humiliation."

"What's her connection to Sophia Wilson?" Steve asked.

"They're best friends, or at least that's what Martha thought. Seems Sophia was more than a little sweet on Martha and went after Gunnery Sergeant Tyrone for Martha," Ellie said.

"Did she have anything to do with her brother's murder?" Steve asked.

"She's denying it, but Abby found blood on a pair of runners we found in Martha's closet," Tim said.

"I'm running it now. We also found a garbage bag full of cut-up magazines that match the letters and words on the hate mail we found at Dwayne Webber's place," Abby said.

"That's pretty incriminating," Millie said.

"Except Martha's denying having done that," Tony said.

"What do you think?" Steve asked.

"Well, it was looking pretty cut and dried before, but with Master Sergeant Mulaire under suspicion for weapons by an anonymous source, Sophia Wilson claiming she was pretty much paid to kill Gunnery Sergeant Tyrone, again by an anonymous source, it's not looking so cut and dried anymore," Tim said.

"Set-up? Revenge over a mission overseas?" Steve suggested, thinking of SEAL Team 9.

"Possibly. We're going through their missions now, the ones we have security clearance for," Tim said.

"We were also planning on talking to Gunnery Sergeant Tyrone's unit commander in the morning," Ellie said.

"Good idea," Steve said.

"I threw your uniform in your bag, just in case," Millie said to Steve.

He smiled down at her. "Thank you."

"Uniform?" Abby repeated, confused.

" I was with the Naval Intelligence division for five years and a SEAL for six before I formed Five-0 with Governor Jameson. I may be just a Reserve now, and primarily Five-0, but I still have all the rank, credentials, and medals to go with being a SEAL and Naval Intelligence," Steve explained.

"Since I don't know what we're walking into and believe in being prepared, I covered our bases by bringing Steve's Navy uniform," Millie explained. "Along with both our service and back-up weapons."

"Were you the one that went after Victor and Anton Hesse?" Ellie asked Steve.

Steve's brow furrowed. "How did you know about that?"

"NSA," Ellie said. "They were persons of interest for us too. Word is Victor Hesse was killed in prison."

"Yeah, he was; by Wo Fat," Steve said. "It was in retaliation for Victor not killing me when I was in prison and falsely arrested for Governor Jameson's murder, which was also done by Wo Fat."

"What about Anton? NSA was never quite able to get a straight answer about that," Ellie asked.

"I was part of the team that caught him," Steve admitted. "When we were transporting him via convoy to a secure location, Victor went after my father and held him hostage, demanding Anton's release. Unfortunately we were ambushed and Anton was killed in the firefight. Victor killed my father in retaliation."

With the exception of Millie, who knew the story, there were winces of sympathy from the gathered agents.

"And Wo Fat is dead?" Ellie asked.

"I put a bullet between his eyes; I should hope so," Steve said calmly. He didn't mention the fact that Wo Fat had left him with a scar going across his left temple, into his hairline, as a result of a just-missed final shot.

It was shortly after that that Gibbs took the Five-0 officers to their accommodations; a very nice hotel with a very nice room. The room had a king-size bed, marble bathtub, and walk-in shower. The view, as far as Millie and Steve were concerned was fabulous; they could see the Tidal Basin, the Jefferson Memorial, and the Washington Monument from their window.

Because of the long day and even longer flight, the couple fell into bed and were asleep quickly.

The next morning, after a slow, pleasurable, session in the walk-in shower and a decent breakfast, Gibbs picked them up.

As he drove, he handed Steve a box. "Dabi told me to give these to you two. Fresh out of the bakery oven."

Steve handed Millie a blueberry scone from the box. "I just ate breakfast," she protested.

"You're eating for two," Steve replied. "Plus, you took a knife to the side a few days ago and lost blood, which is going to take you about fifty-six days to completely replenish." He ignored the glare she sent him. "Besides, you don't want to insult Dabi by not eating her baking."

"How would she know?" Millie demanded.

"I'll tell her," Steve replied.

"You don't have her number," Millie shot back.

"Gibbs does, and so does the rest of his team," was the calm reply. "And I'm willing to bet they'll help me."

"Have I told you you're an insufferable jerk lately?" Millie huffed, causing Gibbs to snort with laughter, and Steve to grin.

"Yes dear. I love you too, dear," he said.

At NCIS, the rest of the team was waiting for them, along with Director Leon Vance, who had read Gibbs' report from when Dabi had been kidnapped and kept his ear and eye on the Five-0 team since.

"Master Sergeant Mulaire is waiting for you," Tony said, after introductions were done between Vance, Steve, and Millie. "We told him you had come and he said that's nice. Not believing till he sees, I'm guessing."

"Fair enough," Millie said. "Bug," she said, putting her hand out.

Tim put an earwig in her hand. "Once you're ready to see the sergeant, we'll cue you up. You'll be able to hear us and we'll be listening in and watching," he said.

"If I think there's going to be a problem and require intervention, I'll rap out Shave And a Haircut on the table," Millie said.

"If we hear that, we'll come running," Ellie promised.

"Otherwise, you let me play it my way," Millie said.

"Are you sure about this?" Vance asked.

"There's a reason why her nickname is Radar, sir," Steve said. "I trust her instincts. What about Agent Finlay? Is he going to be a problem?"

"Given the fact that I'm surprised he has any skin left after the dressing down he was apparently given by you, no, he won't be a problem. Master Sergeant Mulaire is yours," Vance said, nodding his head towards Millie. "I have warned him to make sure he is available to you should you decide you need his assistance."

"Thank you, sir," Steve said. Vance nodded.

Master Sergeant Jon Mulaire looked up when the door opened, expecting another agent. Then his eyes went wide and he straightened up.

_It was her_. Sure, her hair was shorter, she had one wrist in a black wrist brace, and she was in jeans and a long-sleeve black Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors shirt under an open dark green short-sleeve men's dress shirt, but she still had those fantastic legs, that sweet figure, and that warm smile that drew him like a moth to the light.

"Millie," he said, standing up.

"Jon," she said, giving him a hug. Then she stepped back and looked at him, shaking her head slowly. "You goof," she said, her words not having any sting in them. "Special Agent Gibbs says you got yourself in a bit of a jam."

"That's one way of putting it," he said, watching as she took the other chair and sat down beside him. "Things happened since I last saw you," he admitted, taking her hands in his. "I saw things, did things."

"From what I've been told, it's not pretty over there," she said. "Anyone who can survive a tour has my respect. What happened, Big Guy? Gibbs says you're a suspect in a case involving weapons and you're not talking to anyone except me, not even your lawyer."

Jon sighed heavily, looking at the table. "I'm sorry, babe. I screwed up, big time."

She reached out and brought his chin up gently. "Hey. I'm not here to judge you. I just want to understand what's going on here."

"The damn CIA happened," Jon said bitterly. "Guy by the name of Terry Carter approached me and two other guys a few weeks back, asked us if we wanted to make a difference. We said sure. He said he was CIA and needed a few good men willing to provide him with backup during an exchange between us and a tribal leader, which we were told would help relations with us and them."

"Did it?"

"I don't know. The tribal leader's name was Abdul Adheem Kamal. Carter assured me he was a good guy."

"_He's not. Abdul Adheem Kamal is one of the guys on our Wall of Shame,_" Tony said in Millie's ear. Behind her, in the other room, was Steve, Gibbs, and Tony. Tim and Ellie were going through Mulaire's computer and life, looking for anything that might help their case, either to prove or disprove the allegations.

"But you found out otherwise," Millie said.

Jon nodded. "Seems he's responsible for some of the worst Taliban-related ambushes against UN forces and been on our hit list for a while. Carter had given the son of a bitch a crate full of our weapons, to be used against us."

"And the CIA was dealing with this guy?"

"I don't know. I don't even know if Carter is CIA," Mulaire said.

"_Think our buddy, Kort, might know?_" Tony asked Gibbs.

"_Find out_," Gibbs said.

"When I tried to find Carter afterwards, tried to confront him about things, he told me that yes, Abdul Adheem Kamal was a bad guy, yes the operation had been illegal, but because we had participated in it, we were just as responsible for what happened and if any of us tried to do anything about it, we would be court-martialled and buried so deeply, our careers would not exist by the time he was done with us, and our lives would be over," Mulaire continued. "Carter said dealing with the Devil was just part of doing business in America."

"So what did you do?"

"Gave him a nasty surprise. What Carter didn't know was that one of us had recorded the whole thing."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously. Names, faces, location, everything. Just in case."

"_Smart,_" Steve said.

"Sounds like something someone would kill over," Millie said.

"Oh, Carter was pretty mad. I told him he had a choice; take us back to Abdul Adheem and let us deal with him our way, or the video would get slipped to the higher ups, and he would be the one to disappear."

"What did Carter do?"

"Ranted, raved, called me a few choice words. Then he calmed down, shrugged, and called it the cost of doing business. Two nights later, Abdul Adheem had a broken neck from falling off his horse."

"_Guess we can take him off the Wall of Shame now_," Tony said.

"And you?" Millie asked Mulaire.

"Got a very sweet job offer from Carter, which I told him wasn't worth the paper it was written on."

"_Good man_," Gibbs said.

"What about the weapons?" Millie asked.

"Amazing how much damage a grenade can do to a stockpile of ammunition and LAW rockets."

"_A lot,_" Steve said. "_Makes our little campfire explosion seem tame._"

"_Campfire explosion?_" Tony asked.

"_Hundred and fifteen percent proof whiskey, gasoline, and a road flare,_" Steve said. "_Long story._"

"_And one I want to hear_," Tony said, eyes wide.

"Oh I'll bet. Bet Carter wasn't happy about that," Millie said, ignoring the conversation.

"No, he wasn't, but I had him by the balls, or so I thought. I get back home and suddenly I have an NCIS agent on my ass over missing weapons that I had nothing to do with, except destroying them to prevent them from being used against us," Mulaire said.

Millie rubbed her lip. "Jon, does the name Gunnery Sergeant Mark Tyrone sound familiar to you?"

"He was one of the guys Carter approached. He was temporarily part of our unit while he was helping field-test these new binoculars. He left shortly afterwards. How do you know him?" Jon asked suspiciously.

"He was murdered on a flight to Honolulu a few days ago. We caught the woman who murdered him, but she's claiming she was given his flight information by an anonymous source, including enough money for a return ticket to and from Honolulu, and accommodations at a hotel, and so forth. All she had to do was kill him," Millie explained.

"We?" Jon repeated, curious.

Millie took out a gold badge from behind her back and handed it to him. "Governor-backed Hawaii Five-0 Task Force. I'm an officer and part of the team. My boss, Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett, is friendly with Agent Gibbs because of a prior case, and we were in contact with Gibbs with regards to Gunnery Sergeant Tyrone because he had an address in Agent Gibbs' territory, so to speak."

"What does your task force do?" he asked, handing her back her badge and watching as she put it on her hip. That explained why she was holding herself taller; she had a badge, possibly a gun, and more than likely the authority to go with that badge.

"What we're doing now; investigating a murder. We're kind of like a federal police for the island and we're damn good. My team took down Victor Hesse and his brother when they first started," Millie explained. "I joined the team a few months ago, when I smart-mouthed the governor, who promptly offered me a job with the team as their Administrative Assistant. I hold the official rank of Officer and serve as the team's mission control officer during a mission, but I'm learning to hold my own in a fight. It seems my biological father was actually a cop, and I come from a long line of cops."

"Damn, babe. I always knew you were something special."

Millie blushed, then got back on track. "What's the name of the third guy?"

"Private Aengus Cullen. His parents were Irish immigrants. We called him Gus. Good kid."

"_We'll find him_," Gibbs said.

"Okay. We're going to try and find him. I don't think it's a coincidence Gunnery Sergeant Tyrone is dead and you're in trouble over missing weapons," Millie said.

"How's Mark's partner doing? Last I heard, he was engaged to the guy."

"Retired Staff Sergeant Dwayne Webber?"

"That's the guy."

"He's dead; someone bashed his head in. Gibbs is investigating, and Gibbs doesn't like coincidences."

"I don't either," Mulaire admitted. "It's got to be this Carter guy."

"Where's the video? Maybe we can identify him."

"Gus buried it in cyberspace, but Mark was supposed to hide a copy of it in a safe deposit box under his dad's name. I sent it to him as soon as I realized who we had been dealing with. He said he put it on a flash drive and was going to hide it in a bank. That flash drive was supposed to be our insurance in case anything happened to any of us."

"_Tim's looking for it now,_" Tony said, having just gotten off the phone with Tim.

"And something did happen. Mark is dead, and from what Gibbs said, someone handed NCIS enough supposed evidence against you to hang you," Millie said.

"Damn it. All in the name of home and country, huh?"

"Hey," Millie soothed. "You were trying to do what you thought was the right thing. Not all the bad guys wear head wraps, or whatever it is ISIS or the Taliban wear these days. We'll find Carter, somehow, and Private Cullen, and we'll get that video and get you out of here, somehow."

Mulaire nodded. "You're wearing a brace," he said, rubbing her right wrist and feeling the stiff wrist brace. "What did you do?"

"Broke it; had to have pins put in it. Washington weather isn't exactly agreeing with me right now, so it's a bit sore. I was attacked by a guy who thought it was okay to sexually harass a teenage girl. Took offence when I told him off," Millie explained.

"Is he dead? Or at least in jail?" he growled.

"With his face well and truly clawed, thanks to Lunkhead. That was one mad kitty cat," she said, grinning.

"_We'll show you the picture_," Steve said to Gibbs and Tony. "_He's acquired a new nickname; Scarface._"

"Oh I'll bet," Mulaire said, grinning. He had met Lunkhead when he'd spent the night with Millie once, and liked the huge feline. "You seeing anyone?"

"More than that," she said, covering her stomach protectively. "Little One's going to be a spring or summer baby."

He smiled sadly. "Is he good?"

"He's a Navy SEAL; he'd better be."


	97. Chapter 97

**Chapter 97**

"_We found him_," Tony said in Millie's ear. "_He's shipping back out for another tour in about three days._"

"Understood," Millie said. She looked at Mulaire, who was looking at her curiously. She tapped her ear. "Bug in my ear. Private Cullens has been found and he's coming in. Seems he ships out in three days. Are you willing to help us with this?"

"Is NCIS willing to drop the charges?" Mulaire asked.

"Gibbs?" Millie asked. The door opened a moment later and Gibbs walked in, followed by Steve and Tony. "You've already met Agent Gibbs. That's Special Agent Tony DiNozzo, and Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett, Hawaii Five-0 Task Force and my boss," she said to Mulaire.

"As for the charges, Master Sergeant, that remains to be seen," Gibbs said.

"Do you believe me about Carter?" Mulaire asked.

"I believe something is going on," Gibbs said. "But I want to see that video, and we need to talk to Private Cullens."

"Did you tell anyone else about Carter? Anyone? Even your base commander?" Steve asked. "He would have to be the one to give you authorization to leave the base, even if it is CIA."

Mulaire nodded. "We cleared it with Master Gunnery Sergeant Atmore." A funny look came across his face as he remembered something odd about that incident.

"What do you remember?" Millie asked him.

"Master Gunnery Sergeant Atmore didn't seem too happy about hearing about Carter, but he let us go," Mulaire said. "He even asked me if I was sure it was Terry Carter, asked me to describe the guy. Then he said okay, but advised me to be careful around Carter."

"He knows something," Steve said.

"Is it possible this Carter has something on Master Gunnery Sergeant Atmore?" Millie asked. "Something that would force him to do whatever it is Carter wanted?"

"It's possible," Gibbs said.

"The CIA are not known for playing nice," Tony said.

"Dirty?" Millie asked.

"On occasions, very," Steve admitted.

"These guys deal in backroom secrets, the kind people have been known to die over, all in the name of national security, and some of them aren't very nice people to begin with," Tony said.

Gibbs studied Mulaire for a moment. "We'll drop the charges, for now, in light of the investigation, but don't go too far, Marine."

"Yes sir. Thank you, sir," Mulaire said, relief evident in his voice.

"Phelps, you and McGee talk to Private Cullens when he comes in," Gibbs said.

"Gladly," Millie said.

"Gunny, you willing to help with that?" Gibbs asked.

"Yes sir," Mulaire said. "Whoever this Carter is, he and I have a score to settle."

"DiNozzo, find Atmore, and you and McGarrett talk to him," Gibbs said.

"Got it, boss," Tony said.

"What are you going to do?" Steve asked Gibbs.

"See how many trees I have to shoot to see if we can find this Carter guy," Gibbs grumbled.

"Ah, our beloved Mister Kort," Tony said. "I wonder how he's doing as a one-eyed pirate these days."

"And I'm sure there's a story behind that, or am I going to be told it's classified?" Millie asked.

"Not really classified, just really long," Tony admitted. "And seriously redacted."

"Charming," Millie grumbled.

"You need more coffee," Steve said, recognizing the signs of low caffeine in his fiancée.

"That and my stitches are itching," Millie muttered.

"Stitches?" Mulaire asked, watching as Steve carefully helped Millie stand up. There was something going on between those two, he was sure of it.

"Long story," Millie said.

"Go see Ducky," Gibbs said as they left the room, Mulaire behind them.

"I thought he was a medical examiner," Millie said.

"He is. He's also a doctor who once put stitches in my head after one of my ex-wives cracked a baseball bat over my head," Gibbs said, heading down the hall.

"Guess your marriage wasn't all cracked up to be," Millie said easily. Steve only just managed to stop his snort of laughter. "Instead of a double header game, you got a double splitter: a splitting headache and split skin," she continued. Gibbs glared her and Millie ignored him. "Oh wait, make that a triple splitter; you two split. Seems to me she was a lousy baseball player anyway; she missed the ball by a mile."

"Where's Autopsy?" Steve quickly asked Tony, seeing that Gibbs was trying to decide what he was going to do with Millie.

"Basement," Tony said, looking at Millie with wide eyes.

"See you in a bit," Millie said, heading for the elevator.

"Is she always like that?" Tony asked.

"That? That's mild. Wait until she starts with the jokes," Steve said.

"Bad?" Mulaire asked.

"Very," Steve said. "And the more tired she is and the less coffee she's had, the worse the jokes."

"Keep her away from Dabi," Gibbs growled, heading for his desk.

_Autopsy:_

Millie yelped in shock as the cold metal of the table made contact with her bare skin.

"I'm sorry, my dear, but most of my visitors tend to be quite dead," Ducky said as he slid a towel under her back.

"Not your fault," Millie said.

She was down in Autopsy, with Ducky and Jimmy Palmer. Ducky turned out to be a charming English gentleman with a lot of years behind him. Jimmy was his assistant and quite a bit younger, but no less charming.

Ducky had clucked over her when he saw the stitches and the situation was explained. Now he was having her lie down on the table so he could check her over. As he made her comfortable, Jimmy got some tools together in case Ducky decided the stitches could come out.

"I appreciate this," she said.

"Not at all, not at all. I understand you're from Hawaii?" Ducky asked as he gloved up and began to carefully examine her injury.

"I'm actually from Portland, Oregon, but I immigrated to Honolulu almost eight years ago," Millie admitted.

"What made you do that?" Jimmy asked.

"Broken heart. I had just buried my boyfriend of a year and my beloved grandmother a week after his funeral; Hugh was a cop who was killed in the line of duty," she admitted. "Wasn't planning on staying long, but that was eight years ago. Now Honolulu is home and Five-0 is family, or 'ohana, as we say." She rubbed her still-flat stomach. "And it's about to get bigger, if all goes well."

"Ah, I see. How far along?" Ducky asked.

"Three weeks. I know it's just a cluster of cells right now, but..."

"But it's a very special cluster of cells," Jimmy said, grinning. "Does the father know?"

"He knows, and he's very excited. We're getting married later this month, after Thanksgiving," she said. "Either of you got kids?"

"I do," Jimmy said. "A daughter named Victoria."

"Were you scared when you found out?"

"Terrified," Jimmy admitted. "A baby is a big responsibility, and not just for today, but for the rest of your life." He watched as Ducky nodded in satisfaction.

"My dear, I do believe these stitches can come out," Ducky said.

"Please," Millie said.

"But you will have to continue to take it easy so as you don't tear the skin open again," Ducky said. "Which is why I recommend a back brace for at least a week, just to give your muscles some support. Not too tight that the skin can't breathe, but enough to restrict some of your movements."

"Understood," Millie said.

"You'll feel a slight tug," Ducky warned her, "but you shouldn't feel any pain."

"Who is the father?" Jimmy asked, deliberately trying to keep Millie distracted and sensing she needed some reassurance.

"Steve McGarrett. Yes, he's my boss, but we make it work," Millie admitted. She pulled out her cell phone and thumbed through it until she found one of her favorite pictures of Steve, showing it to Jimmy.

"That's the important thing," Jimmy said. "How does he feel about the baby?"

"He's excited. But he's also a SEAL, and he doesn't always tell me what he's feeling or thinking," she admitted.

Both Jimmy and Ducky chuckled. "Yes, SEALs, or any trained military officer, do tend to be rather quiet about voicing their feelings," Ducky said.

"And our job is pretty demanding. Danny, Detective Danny Williams, he's Steve's partner, he has a daughter, Grace, and a son, Charlie, and I know he worries about them like crazy, especially with Grace rapidly hitting teenagehood," Millie said. "If this baby comes to full-term, then I want to do right by him, but I'm so damn scared. Our jobs literally put a target on our back, especially with who we've brought down, and for some of those guys, kids are just another means to an end. Danny's had Grace kidnapped because of him, Lou's daughter, Samantha, was kidnapped because of him, I was kidnapped because of my job, Kono was kidnapped because of Chin, Steve's sister, Mary, was kidnapped because of Steve's investigation into their mother's death. I'm just scared that all I'm doing is putting another target on someone else's back, someone innocent."

"Do you want to leave your job?" Jimmy asked, not knowing who any of the people Millie mentioned, were, but understanding she was close to them and they were possibly part of her Five-0 team.

Millie shook her head. "No, I love what I do, and what I do makes a difference."

"Same here," Jimmy said. "When I first felt Victoria's kick, when Brenna, my wife, was still pregnant with her, I was scared. I've seen death; it comes through here on a regular basis; and I've seen my friends on the table. It's not fun, and I have nightmares about seeing Victoria or Brenna here. So many things go through your mind, and you worry about the future during those few months. Are you going to be enough? What are you going to teach her? What is the world going to teach her? What will happen if you can't be there?"

"What will I do if someone makes him a target because of me or Steve?" Millie asked.

"Then you strap on your gun and your vest, and you get mad, my dear," Ducky said. "And you make the bastard pay."

"Funny thing is, the first time I held Victoria, and she looked at me, all of my fears disappeared," Jimmy said. "What will come, will come. The most important thing you and Steve can do is love him, and as long as you can do that, then the rest will attend to itself."

"It's the fact that you're worrying now tells me exactly what kind of parent you'll be," Ducky said.

"And what's that?" Millie asked.

"A fine one, my dear, a fine one."

_In the bullpen:_

"Master Gunnery Sergeant Atmore is at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island," Tony said, picking up his phone to call the base. "Seems he's helping train new recruits."

Mulaire was in the staff break room, getting something to eat and letting his CO know what was going on; he had another agent keeping an eye on him and serving as an escort. Tim and Ellie were going through computers, Steve was on another computer, using the time to catch up on his emails and messages, Gibbs was on the phone, having a very heated conversation with someone.

"What's his record like?" Steve asked.

"Colorful," Tony said. "Numerous commendations, handful of medals, two short stints in the brig for assault (looks like a bar fight that got out of hand), pretty much a straight arrow Marine."

"If Carter's got him in his sights, he must have done something that's not on record," Steve said. "Straight arrow or not, we all have our secrets."

Gibbs slammed down his phone and everyone jumped. "CIA isn't confirming or denying Carter," he growled. "Kort isn't answering his phone (No surprise there, Tim muttered) so unless we figure out just who this Carter is, we're chasing a damned ghost."

"Maybe not," Tim said, a grin crossing his face as he looked up from his computer. "Just found the safe deposit box under Gunnery Sergeant Tyrone's father's name. He opened it a day after he got home. Getting a warrant for it now."

"That would explain the safe deposit box key on his key ring," Steve said.

"And his keys should be in Evidence Storage," Tim said, heading for the Evidence Storage room.

"Bishop, where are we with Mulaire?" Gibbs snapped.

"Aside from what looks like his signature on a couple of sign-out logs, I'm not finding anything that directly connects him to the missing, well, destroyed, weapons. The ones that did go missing are as he said, ammunition and a couple of LAW rockets," Ellie said. "I found an email between him and Gunnery Sergeant Tyrone, with Tyrone saying he'd deposited the key in the secure location, as per their earlier agreement, and saying he was heading for Hawaii to talk to a Sergeant Major Castle about the binoculars."

"We spoke to him," Steve said. "He confirmed he had a meeting with Tyrone about the binoculars and had exchanged emails with him over Tyrone's concerns about the binoculars. We didn't find anything suspicious in the exchanges."

"And Atmore is willing to talk to us about Carter, especially when he learned of Gunnery Sergeant Tyrone's death," Tony said, hanging up the phone. "He's not happy about it, but he's willing to talk. MTAC is taking the video call."

Gibbs headed for MTAC, along with Steve and Tony.

Waiting for them, a headset plugged into his ear, was a stern-looking Marine with brown eyes, dark brown hair, and tanned, weathered skin.

"Master Gunnery Sergeant Atmore, I'm Special Agent DiNozzo," Tony said. "This is Special Agent Gibbs, and Lieutenant Commander McGarrett, Hawaii Five-0 Task Force."

"_Sirs,_" Atmore said. "_Agent DiNozzo said Gunnery Sergeant Tyrone is dead?_"

"Yes sir," Steve said. "He was murdered on a flight to Honolulu. Now, we've arrested his murderer, but then we find out Master Sergeant Mulaire is in trouble over missing weapons and will only speak to someone he hasn't spoken to, or seen, in years, and that Staff Sergeant Webber, retired, was murdered roughly around the same time as Gunnery Sergeant Tyrone."

"_What's his connection to Gunny Tyrone?_" Atmore asked.

"Webber was Gunnery Sergeant Tyrone's fiancé," Gibbs said.

Atmore scrubbed his hand over his face. "_Damn. Tyrone was a good man and a good Marine. And you think Carter has something to do with it?_"

"According to Master Sergeant Mulaire, you were acting pretty jumpy when you hear the name," Gibbs said.

"_And for good reason_," Atmore admitted. "_Once that guy gets his claws into you, he's got you._"

"What does he have on you?" Gibbs asked.

When Atmore hesitated, Steve used one of Millie's favorite tricks; he made friends with the guy. "Sir, with all due respect, we've all done stupid things. I'm a SEAL, sir, and I can't tell you the number of stupid stunts I've pulled, some I admit I'm not too proud of. My partner is Detective Sergeant Danny Williams, and I swear I'm going to go deaf with all the screaming he's done in my ear over one stunt or another that I've pulled over the course of the six or seven years we've been working together as Five-0." Atmore chuckled reluctantly. "What that means, sir, is that not much surprises me. You strike me as a good man, sir, and I know Master Sergeant Mulaire is too. Whoever this Carter is, he's playing a dangerous game, and lives have already been lost over it. Help us stop him. What does he have over you?" Steve asked gently. "We're not here to judge you. We just want to understand what the hell is going on, and stop Carter before someone else dies."

Atmore sighed heavily. "_I did do something stupid, but nothing Earth-shattering, just career-killing._ _Somehow Carter found out I'd had an affair with a Private who had been attached to my unit. It got pretty hot and heavy for a bit, before she was shipped home, and Carter managed to get his hands on some photos I thought had been buried. If that got out, especially to JAG, my career would be over._"

"What was the Private's name?" Gibbs asked, taking out his notebook.

"_Private First Class Erica Rakowski,_" Atmore said. "_We agreed it was over when she left. She sure made an old man feel good about himself, though._"

"Know where we can find her?" Gibbs asked.

"_Sort of_," Atmore said. "_Good luck trying to reach her, though,_" he said.

"Oh?" Tony asked.

"_I received notice that she had been killed by a drunk driver about a week after she returned home,_" Atmore said bitterly. "_She managed to survive a tour over here, and the minute she gets home, she gets killed by some loser with too much to drink._"

"How does Carter contact you, and what does he usually want?" Gibbs asked.

"_He has an email address and my direct line, and he usually wants me to look the other way, such as when he 'borrowed' Master Sergeant Mulaire and his guys to have a 'conversation' with Abdul Adheem Kamal_ ," Atmore said.

"And when you need to contact Carter?" Tony asked.

"_I don't_," Atmore said. "_In fact, I do everything I can to forget the son of a bitch exists._"

"We'll need that email address, sir," Steve said. "Do you know what he looks like?"

"_No. I've never actually met him face-to-face. All I can tell you is there's no discernible accent and he's smart enough to find those pictures that I thought both Erica and I had either deleted or buried,_" Atmore said. "_Whoever this bastard is, he knows his way around a computer_."

"Apparently so, sir," Steve said. "He managed to manufacture enough so-called evidence to have NCIS go after Master Sergeant Mulaire over missing weapons, and convince someone else to kill Gunnery Sergeant Tyrone."

"Send us everything you can, sir," Gibbs said. "And watch your six."

"_Understood_," Atmore said. "_What are you going to do about me and Rakowski?_"

Gibbs chuckled and shook his head. "Nothing. No need to sully the name of a good Marine over a minor dalliance that's over and done with."

"_Understood. Thank you_," Atmore said. After Gibbs gave him his email address, he signed off.

"So he was being blackmailed," Tony said.

"Affairs like that can break a career, especially if you're that high up the chain of command," Steve said. "I've seen it happen and it's not pretty when it does. And Atmore said he and Private Rakowski buried those photos, which means neither of them wanted the affair to come light, but someone dragged it out of the closet."

"Hacker," Tony said. "Has to be. Abby and McGeek are going to have fun with him."

"Could explain how he found out about Gunnery Sergeant Tyrone's travel plans," Steve said. "And how he knew to reach out to Sophia Wilson. Sophia admitted she had exchanged emails with Martha and Martha had ranted about her brother and Gunnery Sergeant Tyrone more than a few times."

"Plus there's the anonymous source Agent Finlay claims contacted him over Master Sergeant Mulaire," Gibbs said. "And Gunnery Sergeant Tyrone's relationship with Dwayne Webber."

"Which makes me wonder just how many others are being blackmailed by this Carter, given the kind of information that's on computers these days," Steve said. "If this hacker is as smart as he looks, we could be in very serious trouble."

Gibbs' phone rang; it was Tim.

"_Private Cullen is here,_" he said. "_I've put him in a conference room until Millie and I can talk to him_."

"Good," Gibbs said. He ended the call.

"If we do have a hacker, then we need to keep as much as we can out of the systems," Steve said.

"Agreed," Gibbs said. As he walked away, Tony and Steve heard him mutter, "I hate computers."


	98. Chapter 98

**Chapter 98**

Having gotten the call about Private Cullen, Millie was rejoining Steve and the rest of the team in the bullpen. Then something caught her attention.

Steve noticed Millie had gone quiet and she tilted her head as she walked towards him; she was watching someone. She stopped and stood near a desk, watching.

"What do you see?" he asked, when she answered her cell phone.

"Guy in jeans, black dress shirt, sports jacket," Millie replied, not moving from her spot. Steve quickly spotted him. "Been fiddling with the cuff of his left sleeve since he started talking to the woman, who isn't comfortable with the situation. She does not want him here."

"Think he has a knife?"

"Possibly. Plastic can get past security. He keeps trying to get closer and she keeps backing away."

"Domestic?"

"Hard to say. Get ready," she said.

"Already," he said, doing just that, putting himself in a better position to intervene if need be. He watched as she put her phone away and reached behind her back to unstrap her weapon.

Suddenly, Millie moved in. She tapped the woman on the shoulder and said, "Hey Donna, Director Vance wants to see you." She had overheard the woman's name from the man in front of her.

The frightened woman looked at Millie, just as Millie shoved Donna behind her and withdrew her weapon in one smooth move, aiming it square at the man's head.

"Hi there, sugar," she said coldly, leveling her gun properly. "I kinda get the feeling Donna really doesn't want to talk to you." The man gulped nervously.

The room had gone silent, with several agents clearly wondering if they were going to have a gun fight on their hands.

Steve didn't say anything, having seen the same thing Millie spotted; the man was about to attack. Instead, he moved quickly and quietly behind the man.

"Let's see whatcha got up that sleeve of yours," Millie said. "Betcha it's sharp and something you're not supposed to have, you naughty boy, you."

The man's eyes went wide, and he turned to run, only to be find himself face-to-face with Steve, who smiled at him.

In a panic, the man whipped out a clear plastic knife and tried to take a swipe at Steve with it.

Bad idea.

Steve grabbed his wrist and delivered a vicious punch to the man's face that snapped his head back, bloodied his mouth, and caused him to let go of the knife. He then proceeded to bring the stunned man to the floor.

"Nice," Millie said, holding up the knife, which she had grabbed when it had skittered away. Steve quickly frisked the would-be attacker, and came up with a second knife, also clear plastic. Both knives were in the shape of throwing knives and both had sharp, pointy tips. For cutting, they would have been lousy, but for stabbing, they would have been effective.

As Steve shoved the man over on to his stomach, yanking his hands behind his back, he said, "I think it's fair to say you're under arrest for the attempted murder of a federal agent. Someone got a pair of cuffs?"

As the man was cuffed and taken away by three other agents, all looking more than a little cranky, Gibbs blew.

"How the hell did he get past security with those things?" he demanded.

"Easy," said Millie, holding up the knives. "They're plastic, not metal. And the cuff he used to keep them in place is fabric, more or less. Black fabric against a black shirt and jacket, and clear plastic."

Tim took one of the knives, examining it. "If I had to guess, I'd say it's resin. May not look like much, but it would have been effective."

"Mold, pour, trouble," Millie said. "I'm sure there's a few more steps in between, but you get the idea."

"Mythbusters again?" Steve asked.

"That, and curiosity. Class covered the subject of shanks, and I did some research on how easy would it to be to make one of these at home, using casting resin, which is easy to get," Millie admitted. "And throwing knives? Seriously? Wanna bet Mister Duffus had a few he used for casting?"

"He does," Donna, the would-be victim admitted.

"Are you okay?" Ellie asked her, having joined them, along with Tim and Tony.

Donna nodded, rubbing her arms. "That was my ex-husband, Trevor. We didn't part on good terms, I'm afraid."

Ellie nodded. "C'mon, I'll take you to Human Resources, help you get some help, like counselling." She put her arm around the other woman and led her away.

Gibbs held out his hand. "Show me your gun," he said to Millie.

After engaging the safety on the gun, she handed it to him.

"This is a SIG P938," Gibbs said, examining the weapon.

"Yes, it is," Millie said. "It's my backup. I had my regular gun, a Glock 17, taken away from me by a member of the yakuza, and I've been using a Beretta 92 Compact, which was given to me by a friend, but it's not comfortable, so I left it back at the hotel." That part wasn't entirely true; Millie hated the gun because of how she had come into possession of it. She accepted her gun back and put it back in the holster on the right back side of her hip, under her over-shirt. "Anyways, show's over, folks! Private Cullens, here we come."

"This way," Tim said, grinning.

As he led Millie to the conference room, Tony stared at Millie's retreating back. "What just happened?" he asked.

"That's the other reason Millie gets called Radar," Steve said. "She has an absolutely incredible talent for reading people. She saw there was trouble before it was actually visible, and she does this all the time. I've learned to watch her when she tilts her head and goes quiet; it means she's spotted something, and it's usually not good."

Gibbs phone rang; it was Vance, demanding to know what the hell had just happened.

"The Five-0 pair just earned a very expensive cup of coffee is what happened," Gibbs said.

In the conference room, Private Cullens was waiting for them.

"Private Cullens, I'm Special Agent McGee, and this is Officer Phelps, Hawaii Five-0 Task Force," Tim said.

Cullens nodded. "Is this about Carter, sir?" the young man asked.

"Yes it is," Millie said. "What can you tell us about him? What did he look like?"

"Dark brown hair, Caucasian, dark suit, dark glasses, even at night, which was kind of weird, oh and he went through a lot of cigarillos," Cullens said. "Kept fiddling with a cigar cutter, I think."

"You think?" Tim asked.

"It was either a cigar cutter or a lighter, but it was silver, and he kept fiddling with it, like a nervous habit," Cullens said.

Millie took out her phone and sent Steve a text message. "Find out what Carter looks like, from Mulaire. Cullens says dark brown hair, white, dark suit, dark glasses at night, likes cigarillos. Nervous habit fiddling with cigar cutter or lighter," she typed.

"_Wilco_," was the reply.

"Where's the video?" Tim asked.

Cullens smirked. "Buried in cyberspace. I don't mean to be difficult, but unless I hear from Master Sergeant Mulaire or Gunnery Sergeant Mark Tyrone, I'm not helping you find it."

"Sec," Millie said, sending Steve another message. "Cullens won't show us the video unless he hears from Mulaire or Tyrone."

"_Bringing him to you now,_" Steve replied a moment later. "_Description matches._"

Millie showed Tim the message, and he nodded. "Going to be kind of hard to hear from Gunnery Sergeant Tyrone," he said to Cullens. "He was murdered a few days ago."

Cullens' face went white. "What about Master Sergeant Mulaire?"

"Already here and on his way up," Millie said. "His description of Carter matches yours. He also said Abdul Adheem Kamal died of a broken neck from falling off his horse."

"Horses spook real easy," Cullens said calmly.

Tim watched as Millie tilted her head; she was sensing something. "Yes," she said. "Especially when ammunitions are exploding."

"Funny how that happens," Cullens said.

"Funny indeed," Millie said. She scribbled something down on the legal pad between her and Tim. "_So is breaking their neck and making it look like the horse did it_," she wrote. Tim nodded.

There was a knock at the door before it opened. Mulaire walked in, followed by Gibbs and Steve. Cullens bolted to his feet, standing to attention.

"Sir!" Cullens said.

"At ease, Private. We can trust these guys, her especially," Mulaire said, indicating Millie.

"Is it true Gunnery Sergeant Tyrone was murdered, sir?" Cullens asked.

"Oh yeah, and so was his partner, Retired Staff Sergeant Dwayne Webber," Mulaire said. "Carter isn't playing games."

Cullens nodded. "Put me in front of a computer, sir, and I'll bring up that video."

Then Tim's phone rang; he moved to a quiet corner of the room to take the call. Then he started swearing. When he rejoined them a moment later, he was clearly not happy.

"We've got a problem, boss," he said. "That was the Legal department, wanting to know why we had asked for a second warrant for the safe deposit box under Gunnery Sergeant Tyrone's father's name."

"Oh no," Steve said, seeing where this was going.

"Was the first warrant executed?" Gibbs demanded.

"About an hour ago," Tim said.

"What about the key?" Steve said.

"Took me a bit to find it in the first place," Tim admitted. "It was with the stuff you sent back to us, but buried pretty good."

"Could it have been copied?" Millie asked.

"Easily," Steve said.

"I've got Legal scrambling to find the first warrant," Tim said, "but I'm placing some pretty heavy bets someone's already executed that first warrant."

"Bank," Steve said. "We need those cameras."

"Tim, go with him," Gibbs snarled. "You," he said, jerking his finger at Cullens, "get your butt in front of a computer and find me that video before Carter does!"

"I'll get Abby to help you," Tim said, speed-dialing the forensic specialist. "She's pretty good with that."

"Mahalo," Millie said.

"You, sketch artist. The faster we know what this Carter looks like, the faster we can arrest him," Gibbs said to Mulaire.

"Yes, sir," Mulaire said. Whoever this Carter was, he was quickly covering his tracks.

Half an hour later they had the video and the sketch.

"You're good," Abby said to Cullens, grinning at the blushing Private.

"Thank you, ma'am," he said. "It's a good thing I picked up some Irish Gaelic."

The video had indeed been buried in cyberspace, and it had taken Cullens a few minutes to access it.

Steve, Tim, and Ellie were at the bank, getting the video that hopefully showed who had executed the warrant for the safe deposit box.

Mulaire had sat with a sketch artist and drawn up a sketch of Carter. Abby was now running the face through the system, but had warned them it could take time.

Then Abby's computer started beeping warningly and her computer screen started flashing code. Abby yelped and dove for her keyboard, typing frantically.

"Abby, what's wrong?" Millie asked.

"My computer's crashing!" Abby cried. "Something's trying to wipe my servers!"

Cullens dove for the other computer and started typing frantically. "Get your firewalls up," he said. "I'll try and isolate the code."

"My firewalls are up! The attack's coming from within!" Abby snapped.

"Damnit," Cullens swore.

"Can it touch the video?" Millie asked, on the phone to Gibbs.

"I made a copy of it on a flash drive," Abby said absently, fingers flying. "Even if the virus does wipe out the video in cyberspace, we still have a copy."

"Got it!" Cullens yelped. "Killing it _now_!"

The computer screens stopped flashing, but neither Abby nor Cullens stopped typing. Gibbs entered the lab a moment later.

"What the hell just happened?" he demanded.

"We were attacked, Gibbs, literally attacked from within," Abby said. "I've been running facial rec for that Carter guy and that was when the attack happened. Someone tried to wipe my servers."

"The sketch triggered the virus," Cullens said, reading the code. "It's designed to wipe the servers of anyone running the facial parameters of that sketch. I've got it isolated now and I'm trying to track its creator."

"Whoever did this, he's covering his tracks," Abby said. "He's trying to make sure no one, like absolutely no one, can find him. He's good, but not in a good, good way. More like a good, bad way."

"The point is, Carter is very good when it comes to sweeping up his footprints," Millie said, seeing that Gibbs was getting a bit impatient. "But something tells me he wasn't expecting a two-pronged attack."

Cullens swore again. "Son of a bitch bounced the code all over the damn place."

"We could use McGee's help," Abby said.

"They're already on their way back," Millie said. "Thought Tim was going to have a heart attack when Steve told him."

"Are the servers okay?" Gibbs asked.

"So far, but I'm going to have to go through them to make sure," Abby admitted.

"Did we get any hits before the attack?" Gibbs asked.

"No," Millie said. "Facial rec was still running. Gibbs, I'm wondering if you have a mole. How else would the first warrant have been executed through your legal department? Not to mention the strong probability of the security deposit key being copied? Steve said the guy who walked in to execute the warrant the first time, he had the key, and Tim said the keys were in Evidence and had been a bit difficult to find."

Gibbs scowled at the thought. Millie did have a valid point.

"I'll check the video," Abby promised, seeing the look on Gibbs' face.

Then Cullens' cell phone chirped. He took it out, glanced at the message, and his eyes went wide. "Just got a message, sir," he said, holding up the phone.

"I want the video, or the whole of Navy Med will know your sister is a lying whore who destroys marriages," Millie read out loud. "And your sister is?"

"A nurse in the neonatal intensive care unit at Navy Med," Cullens said.

"And the lying whore who destroys marriages part?" Gibbs asked, watching as Abby tried to trace the number.

Cullens swallowed hard. "Zoe's lesbian, and she had an affair with a married woman, Tabitha, who had struggled with her sexuality for years. Tabitha divorced her husband about six months ago, and Zoe and Tabitha are living together now. Tabitha's a pediatrics doctor, which is how they met. They were quiet about the affair, because Zoe didn't want to hurt anyone, but Tabitha's ex-husband, he's got quite a bit of clout within the hospital, and if he gets mad enough, he could hurt the pair of them."

"How did the ex-husband take the divorce or the affair?" Gibbs asked.

"I don't know," Cullens said. "Zoe really hasn't said much about it."

"Find out, fast," Gibbs snapped.

"Yes sir," Cullens said. "How do I reply to the message?"

"Tell him you don't have the video anymore; your girlfriend does," Millie said. "And if he doesn't want that video going to the CIA, he'll come and get it, along with a whole lot of cash."

Gibbs glanced at Millie, who had a devilish gleam in her eyes. "You have a plan, I hope?"

"Oh I have a plan," Millie said. "Steve's going to hate me, but oh well."


	99. Chapter 99

**Chapter 99**

The plan was simple. Millie would pose as Cullen's girlfriend and demand fifty grand in exchange for the video.

Surprisingly enough, Carter agreed. He gave directions to a warehouse in the Navy Yard, with instructions to come alone, or Cullen's family would suffer, and Millie wouldn't get a second chance.

"Are you sure about this?" Steve asked when told of the plan, which included a decoy flash drive.

"No, but it's our best chance to catch him," Millie said.

"Fine, but you're being watched the whole time, and if I say down..." Steve said.

"I'm down," Millie assured him. "I'm not about to play heroics here. Promise."

"Good girl," Steve said.

Just after eight p.m., when the sun was well and truly down, Millie entered the warehouse, wearing a Navy utility uniform and she had a bug in her ear. Watching closely was the rest of the team and Steve. They would move in the moment Carter was spotted.

"Carter!" Millie yelled, checking her surroundings with a watchful eye. "Carter, where are you?"

A soft noise caught her attention, and then she was being grabbed by the throat and slammed into a concrete column. She yelled in shock.

"_Move in!_" Steve snapped.

"No!" Millie yelled back, clawing at the hands around her neck, hands that suddenly had a knife against her neck. She stared at the dark eyes staring back at her from under the dark balaclava and blue camo utility hat.

"Give me the drive," her attacker snarled, putting pressure on her throat, but not enough to seriously hurt her, she realized. It was as if he didn't want to hurt her.

"Like hell!" she snarled, pushing against the knife. "You're not Carter, asshole!"

"How do you know?" he shot back.

"Guess!"

"Well, consider me his messenger," he said. "I want the thumb drive, and I want it now," he snarled, jerking his head out reach of her nails, which she had attempted to use on his face. "Give me the damn drive and we can both walk out of here!" Millie swore he sounded almost like he was begging.

"What does he have on you, huh?" Millie asked. "How's he getting you to do your dirty work?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," he said.

"Liar! He's got something on everyone! It's how he operates!" Millie said.

"I don't care!" he snarled, putting pressure on the knife. "The thumb drive! Now!"

"Okay! Okay! Here!" Millie said, taking the decoy out of her pocket and holding it up.

He eased the pressure and she grabbed his knife arm, launching a kick at his knee that caused him to grunt in pain.

And Steve attacked, tackling her attacker to the ground with a vicious body slam, bringing Millie with them, and sending the knife skittering away. They rolled, and everyone came up, with Millie scrambling out of the way. The newcomer was dressed from neck to toe in a blue utility uniform, same as Millie's, but with no name tag, and gloves with knuckle guards. The only identifying feature they could see was his rank, Seaman, with three white stripes, identifying him as an enlisted Sailor.

"Enough!" Steve snapped, yanking out his gun, seeing Millie and the rest of the team do so.

A desperate look crossed Sailor's eyes and he suddenly grabbed a wooden pallet from a nearby stack and threw it at them, causing the whole stack to come crashing down towards Millie and Steve, who only just managed to get out of the way. Then he took off running.

He didn't get very far when Steve tackled him again. For the next several seconds Steve fought with him, trading blows and kicks, until he was finally able to get the one-up with a leg-lock around the neck. When Sailor realized he had a gun pointed at his head, thanks to Gibbs, he gave up, breathing hard.

"Nice fight," Tony said. "You're still under arrest."

"Roll over on your stomach," Steve said, letting Sailor go. "Hands behind your back."

Sailor reluctantly did so, aware he was badly outnumbered and being watched closely. They got him up to his feet and Gibbs took off the balaclava, revealing a Caucasian man with dark brown eyes and dark brown hair in a crew cut.

"Who sent you?" Gibbs asked.

"I'm not saying a word without my lawyer," the sailor said.

"Fine," Steve said. "But if you know anything about Carter, we want to know, because if you're here, that means he's blackmailing you and it's in your best interests to help us because we can help you."

They started walking towards the cars when the wind shifted.

"Hold up," Steve said, holding up his hand. He sniffed the air as everyone froze. "I smell gas."

"And it's a warm night," Millie said, eyes going wide, smelling the gas as well.

"There shouldn't be gas in the area," the sailor said, concerned. "This place is supposed to be empty; it gets used mostly for storage. Pallets and stuff. Not gas."

"Let's go," Gibbs said. Then he froze when he saw the little red laser dot on the sailor's chest, right would his heart would be. "Down!"

As everyone hit the ground, an explosion suddenly rocked the area, the resulting shockwave shoving them to the ground.

Then the shooting started, and everyone scrambled for cover.

A Military Police officer came around the corner, gun at the ready, only to take a round to his leg. He went down, yelling in pain, before dragging himself to the cover of a group of metal barrels.

As shots rang around them, and yelling could be heard, Millie found herself being drawn back into the nightmare of the gun battle between Jin Soon, herself, and a minor triad gang. Hiro Miko had died in her arms, bleeding to death because of Jin Soon, and she had not been able to do anything for him, except get justice for him after the fact. She had been stabbed in the ensuing battle, and her physical injury was only just starting to heal.

She wanted to run, run as far away and as fast as she could, from that place. She wanted to shut off the memories, but the noise wouldn't stop. The shooting wouldn't stop.

She whimpered, hands covering her ears, as she tried to stop the scream that was building up in her throat. She flinched when glass showered her. She knew she should return fire, but she was frozen.

"Millie!" Steve yelled.

She glanced at him and he saw the fear in her eyes. This was worse than anything she had ever been in, combined with the shooting a week ago, he realized. She wasn't just scared, she was flat-out terrified.  
He wanted to help her, to protect her, but he couldn't. He had to focus on what he was doing, because this was exactly what they had talked about before.

Then Millie spotted something; a young woman with black hair, in street clothes, cowering behind a stack of wooden crates that were taking hits. Sooner or later, one of those bullets was going to punch through the flimsy wood and hit the young woman.

A calmness settled over Millie, and she let it. It was better than the fear, after all.

"Steve!" she yelled. When he looked at her, she pointed at the other young woman. "Cover me!"

"Cover Radar!" Steve yelled, coming out and firing. The NCIS team did so, trying to give Millie the time she needed.

Out of the corner of Steve's eye, he watched as Millie came out from behind the car, fired and brought down a shooter, and quickly moved to cover the frightened young woman. She then hauled the young woman to the downed MP, and the safety of the barrels, who was trying to stop the blood coming out of his leg.

"Help him," Millie snapped, shoving the girl towards the officer, her heart hammering as she checked her clip. "Damn. Two rounds left."

"Take mine," the MP said, handing her his gun, a Beretta M9. "It's got fifteen rounds, and I have a spare clip," he said, watching as Millie quickly checked the gun over before taking the safety off and taking out a shooter trying to come up behind Gibbs. "Nice shot."

"Nice gun," Millie replied, already visually tracking another shooter. She then nailed him, but with the way the shooter jerked, she suspected she wasn't the only one who hit him. "I need to replace my main. I like yours."

"You keep making those kind of shots and we'll talk," the MP said.

Millie swallowed hard. Surely the number of people shooting at them was dropping. She glanced at the young woman and the MP. The young woman had tears rolling down her face and her hands were shaking, but she was trying to help the MP control the bleeding from his leg, who was patiently instructing her on what to do.

Then the shooting stopped.

"Radar!" Tim yelled. "You good?"

"We're good, but I've got an MP who needs an ambulance!" Millie called back.

"And an explanation," the MP said. "What the hell happened?"

"Officer Millie Phelps, Hawaii Five-0 Task Force," Millie said, showing him her badge. "We're working with NCIS. Who are you and what are you doing in this area? You guys were supposed to stay away from here while we conducted a sting."

"Master Sergeant James Oliver, ma'am," Oliver grunted, as Steve and Ellie joined them. "That wasn't the message my post got."

"Explain," Ellie said, flashing her badge.

"Twenty minutes ago we got a message from you guys asking one of us to check this area out, that there might be someone hanging around who shouldn't be," Oliver explained.

"There was; those knuckleheads, whoever they were," Millie said. "Who are you and what are you doing here?" she asked the sniffling young woman.

"Tabitha Chase," the young woman said, wiping her eyes. "I got a text message from my boyfriend, asking me to meet him here."

"And you didn't think that was odd?" Steve asked, helping Oliver stand up.

"My boyfriend is Seaman Toby Cooper, and my dad's a Major General who hates me dating any sailor," Tabitha said. "Something about sailors not being good enough for his little girl."

"Rouch," Millie said, as Oliver laughed.

"So we find other places to hook up, and this place is one of them," Tabitha said.

They hobbled over to one of the sedans, which, surprisingly enough, hadn't been shot up in the recent firefight, and Oliver leaned heavily on the car hood, taking the weight off his leg. Then Tabitha saw the sailor standing against the car, and she ran to him.

"Toby!" she yelled, flinging her arms around him.

"Seaman Toby Cooper," Ellie guessed, watching the couple. "Boyfriend, girlfriend, and a whole lotta explaining to do."

"You okay, sir?" Gibbs asked Oliver.

Oliver chuckled. "Just a flesh wound. My wife won't be too happy with me, but I'll live. Who was shooting at us and why?"

Tony hauled up a very grumpy-looking young man with several facial piercings and tattoos on his bald head. "Meet B-Boy the bad boy," he said. "He just admitted to receiving a very nice half-payment of ten grand in exchange for either taking us out, or wounding us. Instead, all of his buddies are now either dead, or wishing they were."

Millie stared hard at the sullen headbanger, and then, without warning, her fist shot out and there was a nasty crunching noise as she broke his nose, which happened to have a rather large nose ring through the nasal septum.

"Ouch!" Tim said, eyes wide.

"Nice punch," Oliver said appreciatively.

"Thank you," Millie said, shaking her first and glaring at her moaning victim.

"Feel better?" Steve asked.

"No, but it's a start," Millie said, heading for the other sedan.

"What happened to her?" Oliver asked.

"Got involved in a gunfight about a week ago, when she was kidnapped by the yakuza," Steve explained. "End result was a knife to the side and watching someone bleed to death in her arms, plus watching someone she thought was a friend, get her head blown off by a bomb necklace."

"Oh nice," Tony said.

"And Millie is not a trained cop or armed forces," Steve said. "She's actually our Administrative Assistant. The title, Officer, was granted to her by Governor Denning, so she could help us in the field."

"So she's not trained for any of this," Ellie said.

"Not formally, no. My people have been teaching her, and she's catching on quick, but there's a major difference between a stimuation and reality," Steve said.

"She's a gutsy lady," Oliver said. "She pregnant?"

"What makes you say that?" Steve asked suspiciously.

Oliver chuckled. "My wife and my sister- in-law. I've got two sets of twins and a daughter, two neices, and one nephew, and my daughter just found out she's pregnant. Plus, one of our other MP's just found out she's pregnant, and she and her husband have been trying for a long time." He grinned. "They call me the Baby Whisperer, because I can tell."

"She is," Steve admitted. "Three, nearly four weeks, along. Combine that with the knife wound, she's a little grumpy."

"Would be," Tony said sagely. Then he smiled at his prisoner and Cooper. "Want to tangle with her in the interogation room, boys? First person who talks gets the jucier of the deals."

"Screw you," Busted Nose snarled, blood pouring down his face. An ambulance could be heard arriving on the scene.

"Oh, I'd say you're pretty screwed already," Ellie said, watching as Steve went over to Millie, who was leaning against the other car, and put his arm around her shoulders, pressing a kiss to her temple. She grinned at Oliver, who's eyebrows had gone up. "Yes, they are, and word is, they're getting married. And he's a SEAL and the head of the Task Force," she said to him.

"Wow," was all Oliver said. "Well, as my wife once reminded me, love knows no reason."


	100. Chapter 100

**Chapter 100**

"Talk, now," Gibbs said, slapping his hands on the table, causing Seaman Cooper to jump. "What does Carter have on you that would make you do something as insanely stupid as attack someone?"

Cooper swallowed hard.

"You're in a whole lot of trouble," Tony said, "but we can make a case for you, that says you were forced to attack Officer Phelps. We just want to know how Carter got in touch with you and what he was trying to blackmail you with."

"We don't want you; we want Carter," Gibbs said. "You're not the only one he's blackmailed. People have died because of him, and we suspect he's either ruined or compromised a lot of other people."

"This guy finds secrets, Seaman," Tony said. "the kind of secrets people would kill to protect, or risk their careers or lives to keep buried. What's yours?"

"You help us, we help you," Gibbs said.

Cooper stared at them. "If I help you, you'll protect my girlfriend?"

"Tabitha Chase? How's she involved in this?" Tony asked.

"Tabitha's dad is a Marine, a Major General, and he doesn't care much for sailors," Cooper admitted. "Tabitha and I, we've been seeing each other for a while, and we like, we like bondage play." His face coloured at this admission.

"And you have pictures," Gibbs guessed. "Pictures that could make it look like rape or sexual assault instead of bondage."

"Yes sir," Cooper admitted. "They were supposed to be in a Cloud account Tabitha and I set up between us."

"Did you ever send any by email?" Tony asked.

"She did, yes. Nothing extremely explicit, but not the kind you share with your buddies," Cooper said.

"And Carter found them," Gibbs said.

"And threatened to send them to Tabitha's dad, which would not only destroy our relationship because he would ban her from seeing me, but Carter also threatened to make it look like I was sexually abusing her, and that would more than likely bring down charges on me, and ruin my career," Cooper said, "even if the allegations were proven false."

"That it would," Tony said. "How were you contacted?"

"Email," Cooper said. "I also received instructions about getting the USB drive and to contact him when I had it. Is Tabitha okay?"

"She's fine," Gibbs said.

"What was she doing there, anyway?" Cooper asked.

"She said she got a message from you asking her to meet you there," Gibbs said.

Cooper shook his head. "I never sent Tabitha any message, sir. Sir, the whole thing stinks like raw sewage."

"You got that right, Seaman. Sit tight," Gibbs said, standing up and leaving the room, Tony following him.

In the other room, Tim and Ellie were talking to Tabitha Chase.

"My dad knows there are plenty of good sailors, he just doesn't like me dating them," Tabitha said.

"Which means you're going to go ahead and do it anyway," Ellie guessed.

Tabitha nodded. "Toby's a good guy," she said. "He would never hurt me or anyone else, not deliberately."

"Well, unfortunately, we have a very serious problem, because he tried to attack one of our agents," Tim said.

"Oh my god," Tabitha whimpered. "Is he going to be charged?"

"We don't know yet. It depends on what we find out," Ellie said. "Why were you at that location?"

"Because I received a message from Toby suggesting I meet him there for a little one-on-one time," Tabitha said, showing them her phone. Sure enough, there was a message on it from Toby, along with an address.

"Except you weren't supposed to be anywhere near that warehouse," Tim said. "It looks like you may have been set up."

"But why?" Tabitha demanded.

"Those guys that were shooting at us? They weren't exactly playing," Ellie admitted. "They had been paid to either hurt us or kill us, and if you're Seaman Cooper's girlfriend, you may have been lured there because of him."

Tabitha swallowed hard. "Is Toby okay?" she asked.

"He's a bit sore; one of our guys is a Navy SEAL and Seaman Cooper tried to fight him," Tim admitted.

Tabitha swallowed hard. "So what happens now?"

"Now, you stay put and we talk to the rest of our team to figure out what's going to happen next. Oh, and we need your phone. We might be able to trace the message," Ellie said.

Tabitha willingly handed over her phone and the two agents left the room. Outside, they met up with Gibbs and Tony. Steve had taken Millie back to the hotel, as there wasn't much more for them to do at that point, and she was in no shape to deal with the aftermath of the shooting.

"What do we got?" Gibbs asked.

"Tabitha Chase is saying she was sent a message from Seaman Cooper, suggesting they meet up. The message also had the address," Ellie said, holding up the phone.

"Except Seaman Cooper is denying he ever sent her a message," Tony said. "The only reason he was there was because he and Tabitha like to play bondage games and some of their pictures could be seen as rape or sexual assault if someone were to put them in the wrong context. And Daddy's a Major General."

"So Carter blackmailed Seaman Cooper over the photos?" Tim guessed.

"You got it," Tony said.

"And we are still no closer to getting this dirtbag than we were before," Gibbs said.

"Abby's working on tracing the money from B-Boy's account," Tim said. "I'm going to go help her and see if we can trace the message."

"How are we with B-Boy and his boys?" Gibbs asked.

"Five dead, three seriously injured, and B-Boy has a permanently busted nose, thanks to Radar hitting his nose-ring square on," Tim said, having heard from the hospital before going into the interrogation room with Tabitha.

"It was a beautiful punch," Tony said.

"It was indeed," Ellie said, grinning.

"And B-boy is threatening to sue Radar over it," Tim said.

"Make sure he doesn't get near a phone or computer," Gibbs said. "I want him under guard and I want his life torn apart."

"Gladly," Ellie said.

Gibbs phone rang. It was Major General Aaron Chase, demanding to know where his daughter was.

"She's at NCIS and she's safe, sir," Gibbs said calmly. "And until we know more about what's going on, she's staying with us for safety reasons. You're welcome to talk to her, but she's not leaving NCIS just yet." Chase tried to bluster about NCIS not being good enough to protect his only daughter, and Gibbs simply ended the call. He was not in the mood for Marines who were in protective over-drive. "We find the money, we find Carter," he said to the rest of the team. "And if we can't find the money, we trace the message. No one is that good."

Back at the hotel, Steve and Millie made use of the hotel's hot tub to relax and talk. They would stay one more day and then head back to Hawaii. After all, they had a wedding and a Thanksgiving to plan.

"Do you want to bring Mary and Jon down? It might be a good idea if your sister knew who you were marrying," Millie said.

"I'd like that," Steve said. "I'll see if I can reach Aunt Deb too. You'll like her, and her husband, Leonard Cassano."

Millie nodded. "At this rate, I figure we're going to need at least three big birds and a park. I've let Mom and Dad know about the wedding, but not the baby. I want to wait until I'm past the four-month stage before I do, just in case."

"Good idea. Does Sam know?"

"About the wedding and the Thanksgiving yes, the baby, no. Same reasons. Mind you, if I'm hearing things right, Sam may be having a wedding of his own soon. Seems he and Ashley have been living together very nicely since Ashley moved in with him, and his house is coming along nicely. She's even helping him build a catio for Gandalf," Millie said.

"A catio?"

"An outdoor porch area for cats, with chicken wire walls. It let's Gandalf be outside without the risk that comes from being outside, like other dogs and cats," Millie explained. "Plus, he can bird watch to his heart's content, but he can't actually get the birds."

"Sounds nice."

"I've been mighty tempted to suggest it for the Twins and Whoda, possibly even Lunkhead, because I don't trust that miserable feline, and with his missing leg, he's not nearly as fast as he used to be," Millie said.

"That wouldn't be such a bad idea, especially for Whoda."

"Want me to talk to Sam?"

"Please. Where are we going to have the wedding?"

"I don't know, but I do know we're going to need a lot of space. Would love it if we could have a roasted pig as part of the menu."

"Now that sounds like an excellent idea." Then he grinned. "Maybe we can get Dabi to do the wedding cake."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously. I know she looks young, but trust me, she's a master of her craft," he assured her. "Besides, we have to visit her tomorrow anyway. Make sure your pants can be loosened, because from what she says, you won't be able to leave without sampling some of the bakery's goods."

"How good?"

"She did a special Hawaiian treat that involves coconut milk and pineapple and says it's going like crazy," he said.

"First thing tomorrow," Millie said. "I think NCIS has got the case well in hand; you and I are going to play tourist."

"That sounds like a good idea to me," he said.

"And I have an even better idea," she said. She whispered in his ear exactly what she was thinking and his eyes went wide.

"Now that sounds like a very good idea," he said, getting out of the hot tub and reaching for the towels. Millie followed, grinning mischievously. She knew exactly how to get a rise out of him, and right now she needed to forget, and the best way to forget things for a while was to lose herself in Steve's arms.

_NCIS Headquarters:_

It was late at night and he was one of the few remaining IT techs still working there. Most of the time he was over-looked by everyone else, and that used to bother him at first.

Not anymore. Over-looked was good. Over-looked meant he could do things without someone watching over his shoulder, like his dumb-as-bricks supervisor.

He was smart. Smarter than everyone else, and now he had the money to prove it.

Lots and lots of money. Sure, it was money illegally obtained, but in the game of terrorists and war, who cared how the money was obtained, especially when it came to secrets.

It had only taken some digging and some dirty code work to find what he wanted, what he had learned that was more valuable than gold or weapons; secrets. Everyone had secrets, and with the right kind of manipulation, everyone had a price for their secrets.

Now, all he had to do now was clean up one last little problem, and then he would take his money and leave the stinking hellhole called Washington, D.C. for some nice country with no extradition treaty. Then he could be Terry Carter for real, not just on paper or on the computer.

Maldives didn't have an extradition treaty with the United States, and they had some fabulous beaches.

He smiled to himself. Those little trips he'd taken under Carter's name hadn't hurt either. Except for that stupid Marine and his buddies. And that greedy little bitch, demanding money for the video.

He had checked the reports for any word about the shooting that should have happened, but so far nothing. Gibbs was no dummy, but he wasn't that smart either. Sooner or later, either him or one of his walking ape agents would screw up and a report would land in the system.

_Hmm._ Maybe he should have a little fun with Agent Bishop, just for the hell of it. After all, one snooty bitch was just as good as another one, like that freak who called herself a forensic specialist.

He smiled wider.

But what about Shirley Overn? She had always been nice to him, and she over-looked as often as he was. She had also mentioned dreaming of visiting Hawaii or someplace like that. He could do a little manipulating and take her with him. Lottery winnings or some such bull like that, and she was his.

Women were so easy to manipulate.


	101. Chapter 101

**Chapter 101**

"Beautiful punch," Dabi said, looking down at the limp form of the would-be robber.

"Wasn't it?" Millie asked. She reached down and pulled the clown mask off her victim, who turned out to be a dazed teenage girl with a bruise on her face Millie was sure wasn't put there by her. "That's not one of mine," she said, pointing to the bruise.

Dabi scowled. She knew what that bruise meant. Then Steve and Leo Benson walked in, marching a young man between them, one who was protesting loudly. Then he saw the girl on the floor, who was rolling on to her side, dazed, and yelled.

"You stupid bitch!"

He yelled again when Leo suddenly squeezed his shoulder. "You really do need to shut up," he said conversationally. "There's a nerve point there, and I would really, really hate to make your arm go numb again, much like your brain."

"Found this charming fellow outside, waiting in a car with the motor running," Steve said. He held up a toy gun that was similar to the one the girl had just tried using on the store clerk. "Look familiar?"

"Cops are on their way," Owen said, coming out. He studied the situation, then glanced at Dabi, who was watching the girl sit up and curl up against the counter, tears rolling down her face. "You see what I see?"

"I do," Dabi said.

"Have your dad run her, and we'll go from there," Owen said.

Millie sat down beside the girl and showed her her badge. "I'm Millie, Hawaii Five-0 Task Force. What's your name?"

"Geraldine, but most people call me Goldie," the girl admitted, pushing her dirty blonde hair out of her face.

"I'm betting that sorry sack of skin calls you something else," Dabi said, sitting down beside her on the other side.

Said sack of skin cackled. "Stupid bitch is one of them! Couldn't even pull off a simple robbery! Now we got no money, which means no food and no place to sleep! Stupid cow!"

Goldie flinched. Millie glanced at Dabi. "You got duct tape around here?"

Dabi smiled and jerked her thumb at a big man with a big mustache, welding a very sharp, slender knife, arms folded across his brawny chest. "Don't need it. That's what he's there for, and Ben's very good with that knife."

Ben smiled widely, causing the younger man to swallow nervously. "I think you need a Joker smile, boy," he said. "I don't have much skill working with skin, but that can be changed."

"Touch me and I'll charge you," the young man threatened.

"Five-0 Task Force, chuckles," Millie said. "Immunity and means. You can't touch him, but we can nail you."

The younger man shut up after that. Then the police arrived and took both him and Goldie away, charged with attempted robbery. Once names were run, Dabi would deal with Goldie later.

"That was fun," Steve said, sampling another one of the bakery's 'maybe's'.

"You know this is supposed to be our honeymoon, not our beat-up-on-the-bad-guys-every-time-we-turn-around-moon, right?" Millie asked.

"Technically yes, but at least this time we didn't have to draw our guns," Steve said. "It would have given you a chance to test out your new toy."

Millie's new toy was a Beretta M9A1, with a white light attachment on the rail, a ten nine mm round clip, and the option of a fifteen round clip. The weapon had been delivered to the hotel in a hard case, along with a holster and a note from Major General Aaron Chase, father of Tabitha Chase, whom they had rescued from a dangerous shoot-out the day before. The handwritten note thanked them for their rescue, and hoped the weapon would serve them well in the future.

"With my luck, I'll be getting a chance to test it before long," Millie grumbled.

Steve and Millie were visiting Dabi when Steve had spotted something odd outside and gone outside. As he did so, Goldie, complete with clown mask and toy gun, had come in and attempted to rob the place. While outside, Steve had met Leo, who had been very helpful in dealing with the abusive attempted getaway driver.

"This is a nice set-up she's got," Steve said, looking around at the busting bakery.

"I'll give her credit; I'm impressed. If I have to, I'll fly her down to Honolulu myself," Millie said. "I really want to see what she could do for a wedding, especially ours."

"I agree," Steve said.

"As do I," Sharee "Nana" Shemo said, joining them. "She may not admit it, but she needs to go back, to face her demons and her memories."

"If she does come, we'll do what we can to help her," Steve assured the elderly woman.

Then his phone rang; it was Gibbs.

"_Feel like helping us nail Carter?_" Gibbs asked.

"You found him?" Steve asked.

"_Abby and McGee ran facial rec again and this time we got a hit_," Gibbs said.

"What about the virus that nearly crashed your systems?" Steve asked.

"_From what I understood from their techno bable, they smacked it hard enough to change the parameters the virus was looking for_," Gibbs said. "_All I know is it worked. We have a name to go with that face_."

"Who?"

"_An NCIS IT tech by the name of Bobby Kittmoore_," Gibbs grumbled.

"One of yours," Steve said.

"_Unfortunately._"

"I see. What do you need us to do?"

"_Get back here and we'll go from there. McGee doesn't think the squirelly bastard knows that we know, but he didn't escape us this long by being stupid_."

"On our way."

Millie and Steve stopped by the hotel long enough to grab their weapons, and then headed for NCIS. Then Tony called.

"_Head for the parkade; he's leaving the building and he may be making a run for it,_" Tony said, after Millie put his phone on speaker.

"Heading. We need his picture," Millie said, as Steve changed direction and headed for the parkade.

"_Sending,_" Tony said.

Steve's phone chirped, signalling an incoming photo.

"Got it," Steve said.

"_And we have company. Tobias Fornell of the lovely FBI has decided to join us. Seems Bobby's been quite the bad boy_," Tony said.

"If he's with you, we won't shoot him," Millie promised. "But if he does something stupid, all bets are off."

"_Fair enough_," Tony said, a smirk in his voice.

Then there were voices in the background. Tony spoke again. "_And we have another problem; Bad Bobby was seen leaving with one of our other techs, a nice lady by the name of Shirley Overn._"

"Willingly or un?" Steve asked.

"_Not sure at this point, but she did tell one of her coworkers that Bobby had apparently come into quite a lot of money and was offering to take her to Hawaii_," Tony said.

"That could be a problem," Millie said as Steve parked near the entrance and they both got out. "Heading out and up. We'll work our way up, you work your way down."

"_See ya when we see ya, sistah_," Tony said.

They were on the second level when they heard the shouting.

"Get back here, Bobby!" someone yelled.

"Gun!"

"Bobby! Bobby, what are you do?" a female voice cried out in fear.

"Shut up, Shirley!" someone else yelled.

Steve and Millie darted between the cars and quickly came upon the scene. A young man with dark hair and glasses was dragging a frightened blonde woman by the neck to one of the cars. Advancing on him was Gibbs and his team, guns out, with a balding man in a suit neither Steve nor Millie recognized but logically figured was Agent Fornell.

"Let her go!" Gibbs shouted.

"You bunch of stupid pricks! I don't know how you got around my programing, but I swear, I will make your lives hell!" Bobby yelled.

Steve glanced at Millie. "I go high, you go low?" he asked quietly.

Millie nodded and dropped to her knees, searching for her target.

Then Steve popped up and fired, shattering one of the nearby vehicle windows. The NCIS and FBI crew scattered and Bobby and Shirley yelled in fear, with Shirley taking the opportunity to try and run, but Bobby managed to grab her by her ponytail.

She cried out in pain, and then Bobby cried out as Millie dropped to the pavement and shot his ankle out from under him from under a nearby car.

Shirley ran, and Tony caught her, hiding her in case Bobby tried something again.

As Gibbs, Fornell, Tim, Steve, and Millie approached him, Tim smirked. "Not so tough without your computer, now, are you, Bobby Boy?" he said.

"You can't touch me!" Bobby yelled. "I've got money, lots of money! You'll see!"

"Yes, we will," Fornell said. "And now that we know who we're looking at, your ass is grass because we're going to tear your computer apart."

"I think there's a few Marines who would love to get you alone," Steve said.

"In the mean time, Bobby Kittmoore, you're under arrest," Millie said.

Afterwards, in the bullpen, Fornell properly introduced himself to Steve and Millie and explained his problem with the mythical Terry Carter.

"He's been a pain in our ass for a while, with the blackmailing and all that, and this is the first time we've ever been able to lay eyes on the prick," Fornell said.

"So he came to see what we knew and hopefully add to his collection of what he knew," Ellie said, savoring her cup of coffee from the local coffee shop, one of several that Fornell had brought the team as a means of bribing them. After the last few days, she figured she'd earned it. "And now, thanks to what we know, we're going to have fun going through his computers and his life."

"Nice shot, by the way," Fornell said to Millie.

"Eh, I dunno. I was acutally aiming for his balls, but then I realized he didn't have any, so why waste a perfectly good bullet?" Millie said.

Ellie choked on her coffee. So did Gibbs and Fornell. Tony winced, and both Tim and Abby laughed.

Steve grinned at Millie and pressed a kiss to her temple. "My kind of woman," he said.


	102. Chapter 102

**Chapter 102**

Susan Phelps groaned as she came awake to the sound of her cell phone ringing insistently. Glancing at the clock, she glanced at her phone and quickly came awake.

"Steve?"

"_Yeah, it's me. Sorry to wake you, but, umm, you need to come to O'ahu as soon as possible_," Steve, her future son-in-law, said.

"Oh no. What's wrong? Is Millie okay?" Susan asked, watching as Mike woke up fast, having heard his wife's tone of voice and the phone. She quickly toggled the phone to speaker.

"_In time, but not right now_," Steve said. "_She, umm, she had a miscarriage, and she asked me to call you_."

"Oh my god," Susan moaned. "Did she even know she was pregnant?"

"_We did. She was, she was about six weeks along, and we weren't going to say anything to anyone until the Thanksgiving party. She said her back was sore, and then about an hour ago, she woke up with real bad cramps, like menstrual cramps, and then she started bleeding real heavy, and I rushed her to the hospital, and they just did an ultrasound and a blood test, and they confirmed that she'd miscarried_," Steve said.

"I'm on my way," Susan said, handing her phone to her husband and bouncing out of the bed. "Even if I have to fly economy and squished between two fat guys, I'll be on the next flight out." _Talk to him_, she mouthed at Mike. Mike nodded.

"Are you okay?" Mike asked.

"_I'm fine, sir_," Steve said.

"Liar. Listen, Susan and I don't like to talk about this because, even after all these years, it still hurts, but after Susan had Drew, she had a series of miscarriages, four in total. Four babies we lost, all within the first three months. That was when Susan finally realized that as much as she wanted more kids, her body just wouldn't let her."

"_And then Millie came along_."

"And Millie came along, and the hurt eased, but it didn't go away completely. Susan grieved for each of those babies she'd lost, and she blamed herself for what happened, even though there was nothing she could have done. And I grieved too, because suddenly that was my kid I wasn't going to be able to hold. Sure, it may have just been a lump of blood and cells, but for me, it was a life. It was my kid, and my kid was gone. Millie's going to be hurting, son, but so are you, and I think you already are. I can hear it in your voice."

Steve sighed shakily. "_I don't know what to do. I don't know what to say_."

"There's not much you can say, not at this point. You're still dealing with the shock. As for what to do, I'll warn you right now, Millie's going to pull away. It's what she did when she lost Hugh and Gram. It's how she deals with her grief, but this is going to be a different kind of grief, because I'm betting she wanted that baby."

"_She did. We both did._"

"And that's a different kind of love, and she's not going to know how to handle it."

"_So she'll pull away_."

"She did for a time with us, because she didn't know how to handle the grief, but she found her way back in time."

"_So what do I do?_"

"You go back in there, and you crawl on to that bed, wrap your arms around her, and you hold on to her. There's a good chance she's going to blame herself for the miscarriage, and she's going to doubt herself and your relationship, and that's where you're going to have to fight. Don't let her call off the wedding, if that's what she does. Shove her in front of a counsellor, if you have to, but don't let her go. I'll tell ya, son, the days after Susan had her miscarriage, they were trying, and I had to fight for her, because I was fighting for both of us. But we won."

"_How did you know it was going to be okay?_"

Mike smiled at his wife, who was watching him with tear-filled eyes. "One night I came home late and I crawled into bed. And Susan reached for me, and damn near cracked my ribs. And we both cried. And that was when I knew we were going to be okay." He wiped his own eyes. "When Millie reaches for you like she's drowning, that's when you know you're going to be okay."

At the Queen's Hospital in O'ahu, Steve sighed shakily. He was sitting against one of the support columns outside the hospital with the phone pressed against his ear. It was the early hours of the morning, and he still had blood on his arm from where Millie had bleed through her nightgown, and he had carried her into his truck and then into the ER. Millie, herself, was in one of the beds in the ER, resting as best as she could, given the circumstances.

"_Millie told me about your dad, and the fact that your mom is God-knows-where doing God-knows-what with the Spook Squad. When Susan comes, let her do what she does best. I think you both need it,_" Mike said.

"Yes sir."

"_Stuff it. The best thing for both of you is to allow yourself to grieve. Millie doesn't know it, but there's a reason why there's an archway in the back yard that's covered with purple climbing roses and has a little angel statue amid the bushes. Those roses are called Angel Face, and every time we lost one, we planted an Angel Face_."

"It's a memorial," Steve realized.

"_And we found it helped, and you may need to do the same_."

"Because we've lost a child, and we don't have anything to bury," Steve realized.

"_Exactly_."

Steve sighed heavily. "I can do that."

"_Do it when you're ready, both of you. And you will be, in time. Trust me on this._"

"Thank you."

"_Go take care of our Millie, son. You know where to find me_," Mike soothed.

And Steve went back into the hospital and into the ER. Millie stirred when he came in the room and he smiled at her. "Your mom's on her way." Millie nodded and watched as Steve kicked off his shoes and climbed on the bed beside her. "C'mere."

A nurse checked on them a short time later, and walked away without saying a word. "Leave those two alone for a while," she told the other triage nurses. "We're not busy, and they're hurting."

"Isn't that Millie Phelps, from that Five-0 Task Force?" one nurse asked. "I thought I recognized her from a news story a while back."

"So?" the first nurse asked.

"So, she and McGarrett, they're mighty cuddly," the second nurse said, a conspiring grin on her face.

"So what? If they are, they are. Our job isn't to spread rumors, it's to take care of the patients and stay out of their personal lives unless they specifically tell us," the first nurse said, glaring at the second nurse. "Patient confidentiality, remember?"

A few hours later, Rene showed up with some clean clothes and underwear, having been alerted to the situation.

"Susan's on the way, and I've got to deal with a case," Steve said. "I'm going to foist it off on the others, once I explain a few things."

Rene nodded. "Don't worry," she soothed. "I'll take care of her. I had two miscarriages, and I remember what it was like, especially the first few days."

"Thank you," Steve said, accepting her hug. He gave Millie a kiss and a quiet assurance that he would catch up with her in a bit, then departed.

At the discharge desk, Millie was taking care of the necessary paperwork, when one of the nearby nurses spoke up.

"Well, at least you know you can get pregnant. Besides, if you think that hurts, wait until you give birth," the nurse said.

Rene saw Millie's eyes go cold, and she stepped in front of the nurse, going nose to nose with the younger woman, even as Millie's hands balled. "Tact," she said coldly, "is clearly not one of your better attributes. If I were you, sister, I would disappear. _Fast. _Because, right now, I am what's standing between you and a very, very pissed off, _grieving_, friend, and if she punched your cheap ass lights out, I wouldn't blame her in the slightest. And you know why? Because I've been where she is now, and even after all these years, it _still_ hurts, and insensitive little bitches like you only make the hurting worse." Rene stepped closer to the cowering nurse. "Get lost. _Or else._"

An older nurse gestured at the younger nurse. "We need to talk."

"Get me out of here," Millie hissed at Rene, blinking hard.

"Go," another nurse soothed. "We've got this. If there's any we need, we'll call you. Take care of yourself."

Millie and Rene nodded and both women quickly left the ER.

At the crime scene, Danny saw Steve's truck pull up and watched as his friend climbed out, looking worse for the wear.

"You okay, man? Where's Millie?" Danny asked.

"She was in hospital last night," Steve said. Danny quickly gestured at the others to join them.

"What happened?" Danny demanded as they huddled together.

"Millie had a miscarriage last night," Steve admitted, running a hand across his face.

"Damn, man, I'm so sorry," Lou said. The others expressed sympathy as well.

"She got hit with cramps around two, two-thirty, and then she started bleeding heavily. I rushed her to the hospital and they checked her out and all that, trying to stop the bleeding, and then they did an ultrasound, and it confirmed that she'd lost the baby," Steve said. "Susan's already on her way in, and I asked Rene to stop by the house and pick up a change of clothes for Millie."

"Look, if you need time, we've got this," Chin said.

"Chin's right. Look after Millie. We'll take care of this," Kono said.

"Thanks, guys. I appreciate this," Steve said.

As his truck left the scene, Lou shook his head. "And there goes a shell shocked man if I ain't ever seen one."

"Steve okay?" Duke asked, joining them.

"Millie just had a miscarriage," Danny said.

"I didn't even know she was pregnant," Duke said.

"Six weeks," Kono said. "Both she and Steve wanted that baby."

"But I don't understand," a nearby cop said. "At six weeks, there's not much there, just some cells and stuff."

Lou casually put his arm around the younger man's neck. "Let me tell you something. That may have been just some cells and stuff to you, but to that couple, and any couple who's ever wanted a baby, that bunch of cells and stuff was a living, breathing, human being. A _baby_. And it's a baby they can't hold anymore. And that baby was just as real and just as alive as you and I are. And if you try and say it was God's plan, or some such shit, I personally guarantee you, you will hurt. 'Cause the last time some dumb prick tried to say that to me, I broke his two front teeth." He smiled at the nervous young man. "The best thing to say is 'I'm sorry for your loss'. That way, you won't lose your teeth, or maybe even have to have your nose reset."

The young man swallowed nervously and nodded. "Yes sir."

"Good boy. Now, go find something to do before you put your foot in your mouth again," Lou said, letting him go.

The cop didn't walk away so much as he ran away.

"Prior experience?" Chin asked, grinning.

Lou scowled. "Yeah. Same situation. Just gotten married, just found out. Then the cramps hit, and Rene miscarried. My pastor tried to tell me it was God's plan. I broke his two front teeth and asked him how that was for God's plan?"

"Nice," Danny said, nodding in approval.


	103. Chapter 103

**Chapter 103**

There was an aquarium in the doctor's office, filled with brightly coloured fish that darted around. Every now and then, a larger fish would come out and chase after one of the black and white fish on the bottom, before retreating back to a cave of sorts, made of Lego, oddly enough. In fact, the whole tank was set up like a Lego underwater exploration scene, complete with sharks, octopuses, explorers, and even a mermaid or two hiding amid the sunken ship. Right beside the aquarium was a laminated list, with a question across the top.

_What Can You Find?_ According the list, Ariel and Jack Sparrow were in there somewhere, along with Scooby-Doo, Shaggy, Aquaman, and Superman. On the other side of aquarium was another laminated list, this one explaining the fish that were in the tank. According to the list, there were guppies, a dwarf gourami, some Yo-yo loaches, and cory catfishes.

Millie was so busy studying the aquarium that she almost didn't hear the nurse call her name, until Susan gently nudged her.

It was two days after the miscarriage, and Millie was seeing her regular doctor for a follow-up. The receptionist had managed to squeeze Millie in as soon as possible once the situation was explained.

Once the initial examination was complete, Millie had questions. Fortunately, Dr. Goode had answers.

"Why did this happen?"

"I don't know," Goode answered honestly. "According to your last blood work, everything was fine. Sometimes it's something we can't test for. All I know is, based on everything you've told me, you were doing everything right. It's just one of those things we still don't understand. The harsh reality is it does happen, and we just don't have the answers." She smiles gently. "That doesn't mean it doesn't hurt any less."

Millie bit her lip, thinking about her next question, but Goode clearly anticipated it.

"From what I'm seeing, if you want, you can try again, but I would recommend waiting at least six months. I would also recommend abstaining from sex and tampons for at least two weeks."

"I'm scared to try again," Millie admitted. "What if it happens again?"

"Then we deal with it when and _if_ it happens," Goode soothed. "I wish I could tell you that it won't happen again, but I can't, because I don't know. All we can do is keep a close eye on things and hope for the best. Now, physically, you look like you're okay, especially that knife injury, but how are you doing emotionally?"

Millie stared at Goode, thoughts tumbling through her mind. Try as she might, she couldn't stop the tears from rolling down her face. "Like someone reached inside me and pulled part of my chest out. I know everyone's telling me I didn't do anything wrong, but it feels like I did. And I'm worried that Steve blames me for what happened, even though he's not saying anything like that. And everything feels so cold right now, and the whole world hurts," she admitted. "I know I should get back to work, but I just want to go back home and pull the covers over my head for a while."

It was Susan who took her daughter's hands in hers. "You listen to me, babe. If that's what you want to do, then that's what you do. You grieve your way. I can't tell you the pain will ever go away, but I can tell you it will get a little easier to bear in time. Just like Gram and Hugh, and my four babies. Just do me a favour; don't shut Steve out. Trust me on this one. Right now, you both need each other."

Millie nodded, wiping her eyes with the tissue Goode offered her.

Afterwards, while making an appointment for a two week follow-up, Millie made a decision.

"Are those fish easy to care for?" she asked the receptionist.

"Very," the receptionist said. "We feed them in the morning, when we come in, and there's an automatic feeder for the evening. As for everything else, we've got a guy that comes in on a regular basis, and he does the maintenance."

"I nearly fell asleep watching them," Millie admitted.

The receptionist nodded. "We get that a lot. And the kids love it because they spend time trying to find everything on the list." She dug around the business cards on her desk and pulled out one for a local aquarium company. "This is the place we recommend."

Millie nodded and looked at her mom, who smiled. "Let's go check out some fish," she said.

Millie grinned mischievously as a thought occurred to her. "It would be fun watching the cats, especially the Twins and Whoda."

Over at Headquarters, Steve and Lou were talking quietly. Lou had come to check on him and Steve had asked him about his own experience with Rene and her miscarriage.

"Two times, brother, two times," Lou said. "First time it happened, I bawled my eyes out. Second time it happened, I bawled my eyes out and punched out my pastor. Guy was a young fellow who hadn't been around very long. Shortly afterwards, said pastor got a firm talking to by another pastor who had been around. Good man explained a few things, like what _not _to say and how real easy it would be to lose parishioners with that particular line," Lou said.

"Would do. Does, does the pain ever stop?"

Lou smiled sadly at him. "Has the pain from losing your dad stopped?"

"No," Steve admitted. "It doesn't hurt as much as it used to, but it still does."

"Same thing," Lou said. "And I know it still hurts Rene, even after all these years. You don't ever really get over it; you just learn to carry it better." He sighed heavily. "March nineteenth and December fourth. Those are the two days I really hate the most, 'cause those days were their due dates."

Steve nodded. "July second," he said.

Lou nodded. "When that day comes, you and Millie go off somewhere together, and you grieve. Don't let anybody tell you you have nothing to grieve about, that it was just a lump of cells. It wasn't; it was your baby and you have a right to grieve just as much as anyone else does. And when the time comes and you and Millie decide to try again, I have no doubt in my mind you'll love that baby just as much as you did this one."

"I'm worried about Millie," Steve admitted. "She may not want to try again."

"Then that's her choice, but something tells me that if you give her time, she will. She learned to love again with you, didn't she?"

Steve smiled. "Yeah, she did. It took time, but yeah, she did."

"Same thing. Give her time. Doctors are probably going to tell her to avoid getting pregnant again for at least six months, and to abstain from sex for at least two weeks. Gives her body time to heal and for everything to straighten itself out down there. Not to mention the heart; took Rene about three months before she could look at another baby without crying."

"What about you?"

"Me? Took me just as long to stop being jealous of my buddies who had kids coming out the clucker. When Samantha finally showed up, then William, you can bet I was one proud papa. That didn't mean I didn't miss the other two any less. Still do, and sometimes I still wonder _what if_?"

Steve nodded. "Millie thinks it would have been a boy."

"Trust her on this one. Women, they tend to have this instinct when it comes to their babies. According to Rene, I should have had two sons."

"Will Millie be okay?"

"In time, brother, in time. You both will."

A few nights later, Steve looked up when a familiar scent caught his nose; raspberry. It was Millie, her hair damp, and wearing her favourite snuggie robe and pyjamas, the pink Garfield ones. She seemed to be watching him, and he smiled at her.

"Hey babe."

She smiled at him, but it was a hesitant smile. "What are you working on?" she asked, coming closer. She hadn't let anyone get too close the last few days, not even her mom or her brother, Sam, and she seemed to be constantly cold, even in the sweltering heat.

A few people had commented that Millie's smile wasn't reaching her eyes, and Kono let it slip that Duke had let it slip that there were bets going around as to whether or not the wedding was still on. Privately, even Steve was begging to wonder if the wedding was still on.

"You remember that case involving the guy found tied to a koa tree?" Millie nodded. "It's getting cold, so I thought I'd take another look at it." She nodded, and when he lifted his arm up, she willingly came on to the couch and snuggled under his arm, just like she used to.

"Could we put an aquarium in that corner?" she asked, pointing to a corner of the living room that had always been a bit of an eyesore for Steve.

"A fish tank? Sure," he said, willing to do anything that caught her attention, anything to see her smile again. "What would you put in it?"

"Guppies. Bright, colourful guppies. I know somebody who would sell me a thirty gallon octagon tank at the drop of a hat, stand included. You can get a lot of guppies in there, and maybe a dwarf gourami or two; they're really colourful."

Steve smiled. "That sounds good. What gave you that idea?"

She shrugged. "The doctor's office had one, a really cool one. I figured it would be something to watch at night, when the lights are off. Someone I talked to said we could put a blue LED light in the tank, which would stimulate moonlight, and make certain types of fish look like they're glowing."

"Nice." They fell silent, and then he felt something; she was tightening her arms around him, as if she was never going to let him go. Then her shoulders started shaking.

"I'm sorry," she whimpered. "I'm so sorry."

_Susan and Rene were right_, Steve realized. Millie was blaming herself for the miscarriage, and she was afraid of losing him too, that he blamed her the way she blamed herself. These were things he'd been told in private, under strict confidentiality agreements by both women.

He forced Millie to look up at him and felt his heart break when he saw the tears rolling down her face. "Sweetheart, what happened wasn't your fault. It wasn't. The only person who's blaming you is you."

"It _was_ my fault," she sobbed. "I was responsible for him, and I must've done something wrong. I must've!"

"You didn't, babe. You did nothing wrong. It's just one of those things that happens," he soothed. "Even the doctors said the same thing. _It wasn't your fault_." He took her hand in his, the one that had her engagement ring on it. "Are you afraid I'm going to break off the engagement because you had a miscarriage?" The look in her eyes told him the answer. He pulled her tight against him, tucking her head under his chin, just like they used to. "Not gonna happen. I love you, Nani. You're mine, and no matter what happens, I'm not letting you go without a fight."

It seemed those were the words she needed to hear, because he swore she was trying to crack his ribs then.

Between sobs, she whispered, "I love you too."

When Steve's alarm clock woke him the next morning, not only was Millie in bed with him, instead of on the couch or the recliner where she'd been for the last few nights, but she was pressed up against his back, just like she used to. He smiled and quickly sent Rene a message.

_You were right. She's gonna be ok now._

Then he got another hint that she would be okay. Instead of putting on her usual slacks and blouse, she reached for a green, purple, and blue crushed velvet drawstring broomstick skirt he remembered seeing her buy on impulse at the flea market a few weeks back. She paired that with a white long sleeve leotard and her favourite black Victorian boots, the same ones she'd worn with her Halloween costume that year.

"You look nice," he said, smiling at her. She smiled back, and this time, the smile reached her eyes.

At work, they made their way through the parking lot holding hands, before running into Duke, who looked at the pair of them.

"So is the wedding still on?" Duke asked.

Millie smiled at Steve, who smiled back. "It was never off," she said.


	104. Chapter 104

**Chapter 104**

Susan stayed for Thanksgiving, which wound up being moved to a local park because of the size of the gathering. She kept in touch with her family through Skype, though, and yelled happily when she found out that Sean's girlfriend, Tonya, had given birth to a healthy baby girl they were calling Susanna, and that Tonya had agreed to marry Sean. Apparently Dwayne, Tonya's son from another relationship, had started insisting that Sean was his daddy, and that Tonya _had_ to marry Sean, 'cause that's what Mommys and Daddys do.

As for Sam, Susan declared him one of hers.

"And the fact that my mother is a Class A bitch and I have a brother who's this close to being charged with sexual harassment by his own boss?" Sam asked during the Thanksgiving gathering.

"Breeding isn't everything," Susan shot back. "Some of the best leaders of our world had absolute bastards for parents. And hello, you handsome beast!" she said, crouching down to let Sam's beloved feline companion sniff her fingers. Gandalf was on his customary harness and sniffing the air curiously; he could smell the turkey.

"This is Gandalf. He pretty much goes with me on all my job sites," Sam admitted. He grinned conspiringly and lowered his voice. "I'm hoping he'll help me propose to Ashley. I've talked to her about it, and she's open to the idea. I even have a ring on order that I know she's been eyeing."

"Smart boy," Susan said, patting his face.

As for Steve and Millie's wedding, after a long talk between them, they decided to move the wedding date to March, to give them more time to plan a wedding that was more than likely going to have at least half the HPD there. And babies? Once Millie's cycle showed up again, she would be going back on the Pill, and remain so for the next six months. After that, they would see what happened.

Time passed. Adam was charged with the deaths of two men who worked for Yakuza leader Goro Shioma, who had his debt, which he later discovered had been paid by none other than Gabriel Waincroft. He worked out a deal and was sentenced to Halawa prison for eighteen months, leaving Kono devastated. A short time later, Goro was killed by Gabriel, himself.

Christmas, understandably, was quiet, but not without its surprises. Sam proposed to Ashley, who accepted, and on Christmas Day, they quietly got married in front of a nondenominational minister, who had come in as a favour to Steve. Gandalf was there, looking spiffy with his tie and white harness-vest, along with the rest of the Five-0 family. Predictably, there was a huge dinner, and an uproar of laughter as Lunkhead managed to steal a hunk of turkey. Again.

January came, and along with it , a visit from Steve's beloved aunt, Debora McGarrett. Deb's husband, Leonard Cassano, had finally succumbed to cancer, and she was there to release his ashes to the ocean, as he had once asked her to.

Steve laughed as he hugged his aunt, Debora McGarrett. Beside him was his sister, Mary, and her daughter, Joan.

"Oh, look at you. A few more scars, a few more grey hairs, but still handsome as always," Deb said. He grinned at her. "Have you finally gotten smart and found someone again?"

Steve ducked his head. "I have, and I've mentioned her a few times, and you'll get a chance to meet her, I promise. Are any of you allergic to cats?"

Mary and Deb looked at each other. "No, not as far as I know," Mary said. "Why?"

"Because, thanks to Millie, we have four cats, and one of them has kind of decided I'm her human," Steve admitted.

"Now I'm really curious about this girl," Deb said.

"We're also getting married in March," Steve admitted.

"You're kidding me," Mary said. The look in her brother's eyes said he was.

"Just do me a favour?" Steve asked.

"Sure," Deb said.

"Don't ask about us having kids. It's a bit of a touchy subject right now, for both of us," Steve said.

"Did something happen?" Deb asked gently, seeing the sadness in her nephew's eyes.

"Millie had a miscarriage just before Thanksgiving. She was about six weeks along," Steve admitted.

"Oh no," Deb moaned. She gave Steve a hug. "Come on. Let's go take care of Leonard, and then we'll meet this girl of yours."

Afterwards (after dropping Steve off at the lab after a wild ride in his truck), Deb and Mary headed to do the next item on Deb's bucket list; an epic shopping spree.

Later that day, Deb watched as Steve and Millie, who turned out to be a pretty brunette woman with a tattoo on one wrist, made dinner together.

Millie had welcomed the other two women and Joan without question, and Lunkhead had made his presence known. A short time later, giggling could be heard as Joan played with the three younger cats, with Lunkhead watching closely.

After listening to the stories Steve and Millie told them about various adventures, Deb decided she liked Millie. The younger woman had spunk, guts, and a heart. She also clearly cared about Steve, and Steve clearly cared about her, as evident by the way they behaved around each other, and played with each other, even while making dinner.

"Abby and Chin got frisky, huh?" Steve asked, stealing a sweet pepper and narrowly missing getting his hands slapped by Millie.

"With the way those two were acting when they thought no one was watching, I'm betting yes," Millie said, slicing a few more sweet peppers for the salad.

"Wow," Steve said. "Well, Valentine's Day is coming up, so we'll see what he says, or does."

"That it is," Millie said, grinning.

"By the way, what's your take on Valentine's Day?"

"Considering this'll be the first time in a long time I've actually had a date, it was a case of take it or leave it," she said, shrugging. "Last time, I spent the day spreading a little love down at the SPCA."

"And this year?"

"I'll still spread a little love, but I want a little loving at home too."

"That can be arranged."

"Just do me a favour? No sushi. I _hate_ sushi," Millie admitted. "The thought of raw fish makes my skin crawl, and I don't care how good the cook is, I'm not touching it."

"Fair enough. I'll just ask him for raw octopus or oysters," he teased. "Yeouch!" Millie had just snapped a kitchen towel at his buttocks.

"You keep that up, buster, and the only loving you're gonna get is with your own hand," Millie threatened.

Steve left the kitchen laughing.

Deb smiled. _Yeah, she was a good one._

Later, after dinner, Deb overheard them talking quietly on the porch. She didn't mean to eavesdrop, but with the look on Millie's face, she figured it was something important.

"Do you remember when I took some medication to treat my sinus infection?" Millie asked. She had been hit with a nasty sinus infection in December, one that had left her feeling like she'd been punched in the face again, and had been prescribed antibiotics to treat it.

"I remember, yeah. Why?" Steve said.

"Because I didn't read the information thing completely, and I didn't hear Dr. Goode too well, but it turns out that the medication I was taking is one of the few medicines that can reduce the effectiveness of the birth control pill, especially the ones I was taking," Millie said sheepishly.

Steve's eyes went wide as he realized what Millie was saying. "Are you?"

"I'm waiting on blood test results, but Dr. Goode had me do a home pregnancy test and it came back positive. The second line was faint, but it was there, which is why she sent me in for the blood work. We should know within the next twenty-four hours."

"How?"

"I think it was that shower we had one time, remember? Because that was about a week before I was actually supposed to start my cycle," Millie admitted. "Or it could have been anytime after that, but I think it was that because I remember that was the first time in a couple of days I even remotely felt like having sex."

Steve swallowed hard. "What did Dr. Goode say about this? Is it safe?"

"She said if it happens, it happens, and she realizes goof-ups happen, and if I am, we'll deal with it accordingly, and monitor things closely, but she assured me the pill won't harm the baby, _if_ I am," Millie said.

"What do you think?"

"I don't know what to think. I don't want to get my hopes up, but if I am, I don't want to say anything to anyone until the first ultrasound at twenty weeks," Millie said. "After that, it'll get a little harder to hide."

Steve grinned as an idea occurred to him. "And then we can put the picture on the computer table and let everyone wonder until we tell them."

Millie stared at him, then grinned. "That's mean. I love it."

Deb watched as Steve cupped Millie's face and kissed her soundly. "I love you, Nani."

Millie smiled at him. "Love you too, Koa."

Later that night, while Steve was helping Mary put Joan to bed, Deb used the moment to talk to Millie privately.

"I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I know," she said.

"About?" Millie asked.

"About the maybe baby," Deb said. Millie's eyes went wide. "He also let it slip about the miscarriage, so I know how much this baby means to both of you." She reached out and rubbed Millie's shoulders. "I want you to promise me something."

"Okay," Millie said suspiciously.

"If you are, wonderful. If you aren't, that's okay, but promise me you'll look after Steve for me," Deb said.

Millie studied the older woman, tilting her head. "Aunt Deb, is something wrong?"

Deb smiled sadly. "I don't have a lot of time, sweetie, so promise me."

Millie put her hands over Deb's. "I promise, but what do you mean you don't have a lot of time? Is it the cancer?"

Deb nodded. "Don't say anything to either of them, please. It hurt them so much last time, and I don't want to do that to them again."

Millie stared at her, feeling her eyes smart as she realized what she was saying. Part of her felt like begging Deb not to ask that of her, but a larger part of her understood. It was better this way, better to remember things as they were in a positive light, not worrying about when Death would come visiting. Finally, she nodded. "Okay. Okay, I won't, for Steve's sake."

Deb nodded, satisfied. "He does love you, you know? I can see it in his eyes and the way he looks at you."

"I love him too," Millie said. "He chose me over Catherine when she showed up a while ago, and he held on to me when I was blaming myself for the miscarriage. I love him, Aunt Deb, and I promise you, I _promise_ you, I will be by his side for as long as he and time let me."

Deb smiled and gave Millie a tight hug. "Thank you. Now I know I can rest easy."

The next morning, after teasing Mary about her pancakes, Steve went upstairs to check on Deb, leaving Millie and Mary and Joan in the kitchen.

"Drew used to rag me the few times I actually tried making pancakes at home," Millie said. "But this is the same guy who caused an egg to explode after trying to microwave it, even after being warned repeatedly, so I never paid him much attention."

Mary laughed. Then Steve came into the kitchen, looking a bit shell shocked.

"Steve?" Millie asked gently.

"Umm, Millie, Mary, can I talk to you for a moment?" Steve asked.

Both women nodded and Mary turned down the heat on the oven. "What's wrong? Where's Aunt Deb?" Mary asked when they were out of earshot of Joan.

"She's umm, she's gone. She passed on a few minutes ago," Steve said.

Mary gasped, and her eyes flew to the stairs that led to the bedrooms, her hands flying to her mouth.

Millie swallowed hard, old memories surfacing. "I'll call Max," she said. "He can make the proper, whatever it is he has to do, and I'll keep an eye on Joan, if you want." Steve nodded, his arm going around Mary, who had started crying. He reached out and squeezed her hand before she headed for the kitchen.

Several hours later, Millie had her answer. She was pregnant again. Rather than tell him in public, she waited until later that night, when they were alone. After she told him, he held her tightly for a long time, tears rolling down his face to mingle with the ones on hers.

"If it's a girl, I want to call her Debora," Steve said.

Millie smiled. "Gram's name was Debbie, so she gets named for two women; Aunt Deb and Gram, because if it weren't for Gram, I would have never come here."

"That was the best damn decision you ever made," he said.

"That, and agreeing to marry you," she said, grinning.

"That too."


End file.
